KOOL
-
Biden Administration Shelves Plan to Ban Menthol Cigarettes
The Biden administration is reversing course on its plan to ban menthol cigarettes, after the White House weighed the potential public-health benefits of banning minty smokes against the political risk of angering some Black voters in an election year.
The administration said Friday that it is delaying a decision on whether to impose a ban, contending that it needs more time to consult with outside groups on the matter. There is no timeline for the administration to revisit the decision, as President Biden competes with former President Donald Trump for votes in November.
Menthols account for more than a third of all cigarettes sold in the U.S. each year and are predominantly used by Black and Hispanic smokers. Some 81% of Black smokers used menthols in 2020, compared with 30% of white smokers and 51% of Hispanic smokers, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Some Black community leaders had fought the measure, saying a ban would expand the illicit market for cigarettes and lead police to racially profile Black smokers. The American Civil Liberties Union and some members of the Congressional Black Caucus expressed similar concerns.
The proposed ban has generated much feedback from the civil rights and criminal justice movements, said Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. “It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time,” he said in a statement.
The Biden administration in 2021 began pursuing a ban on menthol cigarettes, saying the policy move would reduce youth initiation, increase the success rate for smokers trying to quit and address health disparities among people of color. The plan was part of the administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative to reduce the death rate from cancer.
The Food and Drug Administration had been expected to adopt a new rule banning menthols last year, but the plan was delayed as the White House mulled its political repercussions.
Menthols, afaik, aren't more dangerous than regular smokes.
-
When I was in school only a few girls and nerdy guys who wanted to be cool but really weren’t or even could be cool,
smoked menthol cigarettes. Those and few of our mothers.Should have been banned for being an abomination of a vegetable supplement even back in those days. Vile.
-
-
-
(I will start by saying that I am against cigarettes)
But in Indonesia, the most popular type to smoke is a "kretek" cigarette, which is made with cloves. It actually smells pretty good.
-
Biden, a man of rock solid beliefs...
