All other flavored cigarettes have long been banned. The Biden administration must keep its promise and ban menthol cigarettes, which disproportionately kill Black Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The White House\u2019s decision this month to delay the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s rule banning menthol cigarettes<\/a> puts politics and profit over the health of Black Americans. Make no mistake: By heeding the cynical arguments of the tobacco industry and its well-organized lobbying effort, President Joe Biden\u2019s administration is sending an unacceptable message that Black lives do not matter when it comes to fighting tobacco use, the leading cause of preventable death in our country. The administration must keep its promise to protect the health of Black Americans and issue a final rule this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By heeding the cynical arguments of the tobacco industry and its well-organized lobbying effort, President Joe Biden\u2019s administration is sending an unacceptable message that Black lives do not matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Menthol cigarettes were supposed to be off the shelves by year’s end. But on Dec. 6, information on the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs website<\/a> was updated to reflect that there’ll be no ban before March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s absolutely no reason why this ban, already long overdue, should be delayed even a moment longer, especially when it\u2019s supported by overwhelming scientific evidence and when Black communities are so disproportionately targeted and harmed<\/a>. Research shows that menthol makes cigarettes more addictive and, thus, makes it harder for smokers who smoke them to quit. Also, because menthol masks the harsh effects of tobacco smoke<\/a>, it makes it easier for kids to experiment with cigarettes and become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given this evidence, it\u2019s profoundly disturbing that the tobacco industry has deliberately targeted Black communities with marketing for menthol cigarettes<\/a> for more than 60 years. They\u2019ve done it through magazine and store ads, sponsorship of our cultural events, free giveaways and discounts, and other tactics. This predatory targeting continues today. Black neighborhoods have more tobacco retailers, more ads for menthol cigarettes and more price promotions for menthol cigarettes. It\u2019s no accident that almost 85% of Black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes<\/a>, compared to 30% of white smokers who do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also no accident that, largely because of menthol, Black Americans have lower rates of smoking cessation and higher rates of tobacco-related diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes \u2014 all leading killers of Black Americans. In fact, in the United States, smoking claims 45,000 Black lives every year<\/a>. That\u2019s more than any other single risk factor. Banning menthol cigarettes will save Black lives. Research shows the FDA\u2019s rule will save up to 650,000 lives in 40 years<\/a>, with more than a third of them being African Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Biden administration was widely applauded in 2021 when it announced its intention to ban menthol cigarettes<\/a> and applauded again in 2022 when the FDA issued its proposed rule<\/a> to do so. So why the sudden delay now?<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The culprit is clear: the tobacco industry, which has an endless quest for profit. That industry and a web of Black lobbyists and organizations it\u2019s funded have engaged in a campaign<\/a> to exploit the fears of the Black community and spread false messages about the menthol ban. Outrageously, they gained the ear of the White House at a high-level meeting<\/a> just two weeks before the delay was announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s troubling that the White House seems to have listened to industry arguments that are so patently false. First, the industry and its allies stoked fears<\/a> that banning menthol would lead to more overpolicing in Black communities. That argument was debunked as the FDA repeatedly pointed out that the ban would apply to manufacturers and retailers<\/a> and would not make it illegal to possess or use menthol cigarettes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s troubling that the White House seems to have listened to industry arguments that are so patently false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the industry turned to claiming that banning menthol cigarettes would hurt Biden with Black voters<\/a>. This is another phony argument being made at the eleventh hour. The NAACP is the largest Black civil rights organization, and we work in 47 states across the country. We know the real concerns of Black voters include the prices of gas and bread, the future of our children and the safety of our communities. No one has raised the proposed ban on menthol cigarettes as a political issue. This is an argument manufactured by the tobacco industry and those it has paid to carry this false message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The White House must stay focused on the main issue, that is, improving the health of the Black community, which has been targeted by a predatory industry for far too long. It is unacceptable that while Congress banned other flavored cigarettes in 2009<\/a>, menthol cigarettes remain widely available. Why is the only flavor not banned the one that disproportionately sickens and kills Black people? That is the core issue, and we shouldn\u2019t be distracted by the industry\u2019s \u201ctail wagging the dog\u201d arguments against a menthol ban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Biden administration must focus on the science and the health of Black Americans \u2014 and put our lives above politics and profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n