Biden essentially conducted a “War on Cigarettes” that began early in his administration. From the outset, menthol cigarettes were in the crosshairs, with a plan to mandate their elimination from the market. The administration later backed off on this proposal after it faced a backlash from Black communities, a key market for this type of cigarette. That was April, 2024.
Interestingly, once Biden abandoned the presidential race, the plans for the menthol cigarette ban resumed as the rule-making process began anew.
Now Biden’s “War on Menthol Cigarettes” has ended, as President Donald Trump has withdrawn the proposed rule.
The regulators are the hardest hit.
The Food and Drug Administration had in April 2022 proposed to ban the sale of flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes after several health advocacy groups said they were highly addictive, and played a role in luring young people to smoking.A Jan. 21 filing by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a White House agency, showed the proposal has been “withdrawn”.Menthol cigarettes, which comprise a third of the industry’s total U.S. market share, have also faced scrutiny for their disproportionate impact on the health of Black communities.”It is deeply disappointing that a final rule was not issued in a timely manner … it is more critical than ever that states and cities step up their efforts to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products,” said Yolonda Richardson, CEO of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
It is more proof that the Trump administration has learned a few lessons about “science” being used to remove choice from citizens.
Black people die at significantly higher rates than White people of smoking-related illnesses including stroke, heart disease and lung cancer: They make up 12% of the population in the US, but people who are Black account for 41% of smoking-related premature deaths and 50% of the life-years lost associated with menthol tobacco product use between 1980 and 2018, one study found.Within five years, the elimination of menthol cigarettes could close the gap in lung cancer deaths, the same study found.“The FDA’s previously proposed rule to ban menthol would save millions of American lives from painful, preventable deaths. There is no scientific research that supports withdrawing the rule, yet unfortunately, the FDA has done so,” said Laurent Huber, executive director for Action on Smoking and Health in an email. “ASH will continue to advocate on behalf of Americans’ health, and because menthol makes youth smoking initiation easier and smoking harder to quit, we will continue to push for a ban on menthol in tobacco products.”
Did those studies account for dietary differences? Do these differences relate to the location of residence? Do the studies factor in exercise variations?
Or was this “study” another example of the many toxic fruits of the DEI-science complex? Perhaps Trump has other priorities than regulating what legal substances people use.
Additionally, Trump and his team may not wish to follow up with the inevitable consequences of limiting the supplies of popular menthol cigarettes. The proposed bans raised significant concerns about the expansion of the black market for menthol cigarettes.
In California, those black market options include Mexican cartels.
“Cross-border smuggling, theft and loosie sales, those are all part of California’s black market—but I think you have this other aspect that exists too,” said Anna Ready Blom, NACS director of government relations, noting reports that Mexican drug cartels are capable of producing and smuggling menthol cigarettes into the States. “It’s scary stuff.”These concerns were echoed in a letter sent by the House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green (R-TN) to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding FDA’s proposed menthol ban.“CJNG and other Mexican cartels will have significant financial incentive to utilize their existing fentanyl and narcotics networks to push tobacco sales in the United States,” Green wrote.
The best part…The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declined to comment with its usual tisk-tisking of Trump directives. It can’t, because of the newly-ordered temporary ban on public communication.
So much winning, I’m tempted to light a cigar up in celebration.
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