FDA announces plans to pursue ban on menthol in cigarettes

The Food and Drug Administration plans to ban menthol in cigarettes and all flavors in cigars.

The Food and Drug Administration plans to ban menthol in cigarettes and all flavors in cigars, a step the agency says will reduce tobacco use and curb preventable illnesses and deaths. The FDA says flavored products, including menthol, are more appealing to kids and young adults because they mask the harshness or unpleasant flavors of tobacco products. There are 18.6 million smokers of menthol cigarettes in the U.S., according to FDA. Out of Black smokers, 85% smoke menthol cigarettes, compared with 30% of white smokers, the agency says. The FDA estimates the ban would lead more than 920,000 smokers to quit smoking, including 230,000 Black Americans in the first year and a half. "Banning menthol—the last allowable flavor—in cigarettes and banning all flavors in cigars will help save lives, particularly among those disproportionately affected by these deadly products," Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement.