Apr 29 2021, 11:35 PM April 29 2021, 7:36 PM April 29 2021, 11:35 PM (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has moved to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes, citing their disproportionate effect on the health of African Americans. (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has moved to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes, citing their disproportionate effect on the health of African Americans. The decision infuriated tobacco companies but delighted anti-tobacco activists and public-health advocates. In its announcement Thursday, the FDA said itâs âworking toward issuing proposed product standards within the next year to ban mentholâ as a flavor in cigarettes. It also plans to ban all flavors, including menthol, in cigars. The agency will allow an opportunity for public comment, and a ban would likely take years to take effect.