FDA moves to ban menthol cigarettes
It's been a long time coming


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took one of the final steps toward banning menthol-flavored cigarettes and flavored cigars, an issue it has grappled with for years. The agency sent the final rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Oct. 13, which is still awaiting final review. The FDA proposed the rule in April 2022 but missed the self-imposed deadline to finalize it in August. “Finalizing these two product standards remains a top priority for the FDA,” Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, told CNN. “The posting of both rules on the OMB website means they have reached the final step of review for regulatory documents.”
Menthol-flavored tobacco products have long been a concern for the FDA, which argues that their existence promotes youth experimentation, especially among Black youth. “Many Black health groups and civil rights groups support a ban on menthol, with the products accounting for about 85% of those used by adult Black smokers,” Axios reported adding that “Black high school students are 1.5 times more likely than white high school students to smoke cigars,” per a report by Rutgers University. If implemented, the new rules will "protect kids from tobacco addiction, advance health equity and save hundreds of thousands of lives, especially Black lives," Yolonda Richardson, president and CEO of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told CNN.
The tobacco industry has pushed back against the FDA. “The supply of these products will shift from responsible, licensed and regulated retailers to drastically expand an already existing illicit marketplace,” wrote the National Association of Tobacco Outlets to CNN. However, a similar rule, Canada’s menthol ban, proved effective. “Should Canada's menthol ban have the same effect in the United States … more than 1.3 million U.S. smokers quitting, including over 380,000 African Americans,” Axios concluded.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify the timeline of the regulatory process.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
John McWhorter’s 6 favorite books that are rooted in history
Feature The Columbia University professor recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Book review: ‘Abundance’ and ‘Raising Hare: A Memoir’
Feature The political party of ‘abundance’ and a political adviser befriends a baby hare
By The Week US Published
-
USPS Postmaster General DeJoy steps down
Speed Read Louis DeJoy faced ongoing pressure from the Trump administration as they continue to seek power over the postal system
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreads
Speed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How to do the 75 Hard trend the soft way
The Week Recommends The 75 Soft Challenge might be more your speed if you're trying to hit a soft reset
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Health care is full of cognitive biases. Some think AI can help.
The Explainer Humans are fallible but technology can be, too
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Oysters could help combat antibiotic resistance
Under the radar The mollusk shows infection-fighting abilities
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
How Trump's executive orders are threatening scientific research
In the spotlight Agencies are purging important health information
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published