Biden administration delays proposed ban on menthol cigarettes

A proposed ban on menthol cigarettes in the US “will take significantly more time,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement Friday.

A proposed ban on menthol cigarettes in the US “will take significantly more time,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement Friday, delaying a decision that had posed political risks for President Joe Biden as he runs for re-election. “This rule has garnered historic attention and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movement,” Becerra said. “It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time.” An administration official declined to specify further what the current timeline for a final decision might be, saying there was a need to speak with more groups and work through the concerns that have been raised. “Hard to put a timeline on that,” the official said. All flavors in cigarettes were banned in 2009, but menthol was left out after lobbying from the industry. The US Food and Drug Administration first said in April 2022 that it would ban the popular mint flavor, setting a deadline of August 2023. In October, the FDA sent final rules to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review, a key regulatory step. It’s still listed as “pending.” The FDA had set a March deadline for action on the rule, but when there was no movement, a coalition of civil rights and medical organizations sued the agency this month. Menthol cigarettes have become a pivotal issue for Biden, who is facing an election year with concerns over a dropoff in turnout from Black voters.