President Joe Biden’s administration has decided to indefinitely delay a plan to ban menthol cigarettes, a move that has sparked controversy and backlash from anti-smoking advocates. The decision, announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, comes after the administration received feedback from various groups, including civil rights organizations.
The White House has been in talks with several groups opposing the ban, many of which have financial ties to tobacco companies. This delay is seen as a setback for the Food and Drug Administration, which has been working on banning menthol cigarettes for over a decade.
Anti-smoking advocates have been pushing for the ban since 2009 when the FDA gained authority to regulate certain tobacco ingredients. Menthol is the only cigarette flavor that wasn’t banned under that law, and it is particularly popular among Black smokers, making up about 80% of their smoking habits.
The FDA’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes was initially set to be finalized last August, but the deadline has been pushed back multiple times. This decision has been met with disappointment and criticism from health advocates and civil rights leaders, who argue that a ban would save lives, especially in the Black community.
Despite concerns about creating an illegal market for menthol cigarettes and potential confrontations with police, the FDA and health advocates maintain that the ban would only apply to companies that make or sell cigarettes, not individuals.
Smoking is a leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S., with over 480,000 deaths each year, including 45,000 among Black Americans. The debate over the menthol cigarette ban continues to be a contentious issue as the administration navigates the complex intersection of public health, civil rights, and political considerations.