Biden administration postpones flavored cigarette ban amid public feedback, health disparities debate

Biden administration delays ban on flavored cigarettes
The Biden administration has postponed a long-anticipated measure announced last year aimed at outlawing popular menthol cigarette varieties due to the significant public feedback received during consultation, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. In his statement released to FOX Business, Becerra highlighted that the high level of interest garnered by this rule necessitates further discussions before any decision can be made.
Menthol cigarettes have disproportionately affected African American and Hispanic communities where marketing campaigns are predominantly targeted at these demographics as per data from a national survey on drug use conducted in 2019. In fact, minty cigarette flavors represent around one-third of the tobacco consumed by US smokers currently (WSJ).
Ban opponents believe that outlawing menthol cigarettes could fuel an illicit market for these products and lead to disproportionate policing against African Americans due to their higher smoking rates. The American Civil Liberties Union’s Black Caucus is among the critics who raised this issue, warning of potential harm from a ban (WSJ).
The Biden administration proposed banning menthol cigarettes as part of its Cancer Moonshot initiative last year in an attempt to tackle health disparities related to smoking habits. With presidential elections imminently approaching and campaigners pondering whether a prospective move may attract significant backlash from African American voters, the White House is reportedly weighing up both public health considerations against possible negative consequences for electoral support (WSJ).
Illinois’ Robin Kelly, who chairs Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and serves as an elected Democrat in that state’s legislature, expressed her disappointment at this development. “I am deeply disappointed that the FDA has chosen to abandon its established plan to ban menthol cigarettes,” she said (Reuters).
California and Massachusetts have already passed laws prohibiting sales of mint-flavored tobacco products in their respective states.