FDA Moves To Ban Menthol Cigarettes And Flavored Cigars

FDA Moves To Ban Menthol Cigarettes And Flavored Cigars Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Chiu/AP Jeff Chiu/AP The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it is moving to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, based on the evidence of the addictiveness and harm of the products. "Banning menthol — the last allowable flavor — in cigarettes and banning all flavors in cigars will help save lives, particularly among those disproportionately affected by these deadly products," acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement Thursday. The FDA said about 18.6 million people in the U.S. currently smoke menthol cigarettes, but their use is uneven: Almost 85% of Black smokers use menthol cigarettes, compared with 30% of white smokers. "For decades, data have shown that the tobacco industry has successfully and intentionally marketed mentholated cigarettes to African Americans and particularly African American women as 'replacement smokers'; that menthol smokers have a harder time quitting smoking; and that tobacco use is a major contributor to heart disease, cancer, and stroke – three leading causes of death among African Americans," NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. "The ban by the FDA is long overdue to protect the health of African Americans and to reduce the deleterious impact of menthol smoking and tobacco use overall on America's health," he said.