The Biden administration on Friday postponed its plan to ban menthol cigarettes, reflecting the possibility of a political backlash from Black voters in an election year.
34% White Adults
For decades, anti-smoking groups have targeted menthol cigarettes, claiming that they contribute to disproportionate health burdens on Black communities and play a role in luring young people into smoking.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 81% of Black adults who smoked cigarettes used menthol varieties, while 34% of white adults did.
Health Secretary Xavier Becerra
U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra stated that the proposed ban has received significant feedback, including from civil rights and criminal justice organisations.
“It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time,” he said in a statement that appeared to suggest it would not be sorted before the presidential election in November.
Shares of tobacco companies were muted following the news. Altria Group and British American Tobacco closed marginally lower, while Imperial Brands shares fell nearly 1%.
President of the NAACP
Derrick Johnson, President of the NAACP, expressed his organization’s outrage and disgust over the political move.
“In an election year, politicians should be prioritizing people, not profiteers. Today’s news from the Biden Administration is a blow to the Black community, who continue to be unfairly targeted and unjustly killed by Big Tobacco,” he said.
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, also expressed dismay over the delay. “Two full years after releasing proposed rules backed by extensive scientific evidence – and more than a decade since the FDA began examining menthol cigarettes – the administration has failed to take decisive action to remove these deadly, addictive products from the market.”
“We strongly believe there are more effective ways to transition adult smokers away from cigarettes permanently,” said a spokesperson for Reynolds American, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco.
According to the spokesperson, providing access to nicotine alternatives such as vaping products “are critical in supporting adult smokers to migrate from combustible cigarettes.”
Menthol cigarettes account for one-third of the industry’s total market share in the United States.
The highly addictive products have been cited for their appeal to young smokers, as well as significant health impacts for Black communities.
For years, civil rights groups have argued that menthol cigarettes pose a disproportionately higher risk in Black communities, where they are heavily promoted.
Yolonda Richardson, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, stated last month that eliminating menthol cigarettes would reduce the number of young people starting to smoke, increase the number of smokers quitting, and save up to 654,000 lives over 40 years, including 255,000 Black lives.
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