The FDA is proposing a ban on menthol cigarettes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing a ban on menthol flavored cigarettes and all cigar flavorings, except for tobacco, the agency said Thursday.

The agency says the proposal has the potential to significantly reduce disease and death from tobacco by "reducing youth experimentation and addiction."

"The proposed rules would help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. "Additionally, the proposed rules represent an important step to advance health equity by significantly reducing tobacco-related health disparities."

The proposed standards are based in "clear science and evidence" that establish the addictive nature and harm of the flavored products, the agency said. The proposal builds on the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which banned cigarette flavors — aside from tobacco and menthol — in 2009.

"The authority to adopt tobacco product standards is one of the most powerful tools Congress gave the FDA and the actions we are proposing can help significantly reduce youth initiation and increase the chances that current smokers quit," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf. "It is clear that these efforts will help save lives."

In the U.S. in 2019, there were 18.5 million menthol cigarette smokers ages 12 and older in the U.S., according to the FDA. There were higher rates of menthol cigarette use among young people and in Black communities. [Copyright 2022 NPR]