Many prominent Black civil rights leaders, faith leaders, public officials, and public health experts – including leaders of the NAACP, members of Congress, mayors of major cities, and former U.S. surgeons general – are calling for the White House to stop delaying and end menthol cigarette sales.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed rules to end menthol cigarette and flavored cigar sales last spring, which were expected to be finalized by the White House in August 2023. However, the administration has repeatedly delayed finalizing the rules in the face of pressure from the tobacco industry. As part of its intense lobbying efforts, the tobacco industry has attempted to spread fear that menthol bans unfairly target Black Americans and would lead to further criminalization of the community, even though the FDA has made it clear that enforcement of its rules would be focused on manufacturers and retailers, not individual consumers. A recent poll commissioned by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids shows that 62% of Black Americans support the menthol cigarette rule.