American Lung Association urges White House to enact menthol cigarette ban

Oak Hill, WV (CNN)- The American Lung Association is calling out the Biden administration for dragging its feet on a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and cigars. 

The association’s annual State of Tobacco Control report says failing to finalize the menthol ban will result in more deaths and diseases caused by smoking.

Especially among black smokers who are disproportionately more likely to smoke menthols. 

In October, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent final rules on the issue to the white house for review. 

The White House Office of Management and Budget has not signed off on the FDA’s regulatory action. 

A timetable for the final menthol rule from last month indicates it would be decided in March. 

The report says the lack of action by the White House on the issue prioritizes politics and tobacco industry profits over public health. 

Researchers estimate that a regulation banning menthol cigarettes would save about 654-thousand lives over the next 40 years. 

Menthol cigarettes make it both easier to start smoking and harder to quit by reducing the harshness of the smoke and cooling the throat.