The administration of United States President Donald Trump withdrew a proposed law that sought to ban menthol in flavored cigarettes and cigars.
The ban on menthol is something that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – the US agency that regulates foods, medicines and cosmetics – has stated is a “top priority” during Joe Biden’s administration.
She sent the final version of her rule banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars to the White House for approval in October 2023. The ban was expected that year, but after intense lobbying from multiple stakeholder groups, Biden never greenlit the ban .
In April of last year, a coalition of civil rights groups and medical organizations sued the FDA for missing its own menthol ban deadline. The groups said the process is still ongoing, although it is unclear how it will be impacted by the rule’s withdrawal.
Although the rule has been withdrawn, it is not completely dead, experts said. A future administration could revive the rule and avoid some of the procedural hurdles.
All cigarette flavors except menthol were banned in 2009. The FDA has been considering a menthol ban for more than a decade.
Studies suggest a ban would save lives and money. Over a 20-year period, this could reduce healthcare costs among all adult smokers by about $1.62 billion, according to a recent study. It could also save up to 654,000 U.S. lives over 40 years, according to a 2022 study.
This content was originally published in Trump government withdraws proposal to ban menthol in cigarettes and cigars on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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