Federal regulators have sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review a rule that would ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
The rule was first proposed in April 2022 by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The agency said at the time that the rule “has the potential to significantly reduce disease and death,” reduce “youth experimentation and addiction,” and increase the number of smokers who quit.
“Once finalized, the rule to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will be the most significant action taken by the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products in its 14-year history. The American Lung Association [ALA] is eager to see these lifesaving rules implemented and urges the White House to finalize these rules before the end of the year,” ALA President and CEO Harold Wimmer said in a statement.
“The science and the data are clear. Ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will save lives. It will also help reduce the unjust disparities in tobacco use caused by tobacco companies targeting certain communities with menthol cigarettes,” Wimmer added.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while the number of smokers has declined, the number of menthol smokers has increased.
The menthol flavor attracts new smokers and makes cigarettes more addictive, scientists say.
It has also been the cause of health disparities in smoking.
About 43% of all adult smokers smoked menthol, but more than 83% of black smokers did so, according to a 2020 study. Only 30% of white smokers smoke menthols.
Black patients account for 41% of smoking-related premature deaths and 50% of life-years lost associated with menthol tobacco product use between 1980 and 2018, according to a study. They represent only 12% of the population. Eliminating menthol cigarettes could end this health disparity.