FDA proposes ban on menthol tobacco and flavored cigars

long time no see

Equity issues

The tobacco industry has sold large quantities of menthol products to the color community and other minority groups.

“Today is the beginning of the end of menthol tobacco and a truly historic moment for public health. For decades, tobacco companies have deliberately pushed menthol tobacco to attract young people to deadly products, black Americans. We have implemented racist marketing practices to deliberately target menthol, and the resulting health consequences are devastating. “

“The proposed rules will prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit smoking,” Health and Welfare Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement Thursday. “In addition, the proposed rules represent an important step in increasing health equity by significantly reducing tobacco-related health inequalities.”

Switch to flavor cigars

After the 2009 Tobacco Control Act banned flavored tobacco, many flavor-loving smokers, especially children, moved to flavored cigars containing “child-friendly” flavors such as menthol, fruit punches, strawberry and grapes. You may have done so.

The FDA said the use of flavored cigars has “dramatically increased” and the availability of these products could have “damaged” public health goals. According to the FDA, more than 500,000 young people in the United States smoke flavored cigars.

Flavor cigars and cigarillos are especially popular with children, especially black and Hispanic children who are twice as likely to smoke as white classmates.

In 2020, many young people would smoke cigars every day rather than smoke.

Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, said in a statement Thursday: “The ban on menthol and flavored cigars is a decades-long battle between tobacco use and the epidemic of tobacco-related diseases. Will point to a historic turning point. ” “Science is clear. Menthol cigarettes have a negative impact on public health and have no public health benefits compared to non-menthol cigarettes. They may be dependent on young smokers. Increasing the degree and increasing the number of premature deaths from tobacco use. Their exclusion from the market will bring great benefits to the country’s public health. “

Individual consumers will not be prosecuted

If enacted, the FDA was careful. This rule applies only to tobacco companies and industries. Authorities, like state and local law enforcement agencies, do not enforce FDA rules independently.

The proposed rule will not prosecute individual consumers for possession of menthol products.

Other groups, such as the NAACP and many members of the Congressional Black Caucus, are in favor of the ban.

“Menthol flavor targeting and marketing by the tobacco industry has had a devastating impact on our community. Menthol flavored cigarettes induce many children and adults, creating lifelong addiction and health challenges. Brought and eventually killed our loved one, “said the NAACP statement. “Today is a big victory for fairness, justice, and public health concerns.”

The FDA said Thursday in a way that state and local law enforcement agencies could impact equity and community security, especially for poorly serviced and undervalued communities. Recognizing concerns about how to enforce its own laws, the FDA specifically seeks comment, how the respective roles of authorities and state and local law enforcement agencies, and the proposed products. Can we best identify policy considerations related to the potential racial and social impacts of the standard? “

Caliph said this would be more work for the agency in the future.

“We take these concerns seriously,” he said. “Let’s make one thing clear enough. The enforcement associated with these measures applies to the tobacco industry, not to the individual who owns or uses these products.”

Next: Public Comments Period

The FDA’s ban on menthol and flavored cigars does not come into effect immediately.

The next step is the comment period from May 4th to July 5th. The FDA will also hold a public listening session on June 13th and 15th.

After that, the agency is expected to take some time to review the comments before the rule is complete.

This rule takes effect one year after the final version is published. Public health experts are convinced that tobacco companies will try to stop the ban by suing agents, as they have done in past tobacco control laws.

“This is not a trivial matter,” Caliph said. He said tobacco-related mortality rates are high and there are many tobacco-related illnesses.

“My wish is not to lose the sense of urgency about this,” he said. “Literally, you can save your life.”