ACLU-Led Coalition Warns Biden Administration Against Menthol Ban, Citing ‘Racial Justice Implications’
A coalition led by the American Civil Liberties Union is urging the Biden administration not to ban menthol cigarettes.
Such a ban would “have serious racial justice implications” and would “trigger criminal penalties, which will disproportionately impact people of color, as well as prioritize criminalization over public health and harm reduction,” the coalition wrote in a letter this week to Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Janet Woodcock.
“A ban will also lead to unconstitutional policing and other negative interactions with local law enforcement,” they added.
FDA moving forward with effort to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars
Paul Sakuma/AP
FILE - In Dec. 8, 2009 file photo, Newport cigarettes, a Lorillard Inc. brand, are displayed at Costco in Mountain View, Calif. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
and last updated 2021-04-29 11:47:25-04
WASHINGTON, D.C. â The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Thursday that itâs moving forward with its effort to ban menthol cigarettes, as well as flavored cigars.
In a press release, the FDA said itâs committing to advancing the two tobacco product standards to significantly reduce disease and death from using combusted tobacco products, the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
Apr 29, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it will promulgate a rule banning menthol cigarettes, finally responding to a Citizen Petition submitted to the agency in 2013 by nineteen public health organizations. The FDA’s overdue response to the petition was prompted by a lawsuit filed by the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC), Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the National Medical Association (NMA). The plaintiffs are represented by Pollock Cohen LLP. The FDA has determined that they will ban the sale of menthol cigarettes.
“The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council is encouraged by the FDA finally agreeing to begin the rulemaking process to get menthol cigarettes off the marketplace. This is a major step forward in Saving Black Lives; however, this is not the end of this fight, only the next stage. The AATCLC strongly encourages that toba
FDA says itâs moving forward with effort to ban menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars
and last updated 2021-04-29 11:55:43-04
WASHINGTON, D.C. â The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Thursday that itâs moving forward with its effort to ban menthol cigarettes, as well as flavored cigars.
In a press release, the FDA said itâs committing to advancing the two tobacco product standards to significantly reduce disease and death from using combusted tobacco products, the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
The FDA said itâs working to issue proposed product standards within the next year to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and ban all characterizing flavors, including menthol, in cigars.