Biden administration pushes back plan to ban menthol cigarettes
The Biden administration has reportedly abandoned its plans to ban menthol cigarettes after warnings that it could push away some Black voters.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday the White House dropped its plans for the ban after weighing the potential public health benefits against possible political repercussions.
"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," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a Friday statement.
"It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time."
Plans for a menthol ban have been in consideration for several years now, but a final rule has been delayed, with the Biden administration recently missing an internal deadline to issue a final rule on the matter.
Public opinion on a potential ban has been polarizing, with public health groups urging the White House to follow through on the ban, while some criminal justice organizations have argued it unduly criminalizes a product that is highly popular among Black smokers.
Health officials initially targeted last August to publish the rule to ban menthol. But at the end of last year, the Biden administration delayed the ban until March after fierce lobbying from critics — including the tobacco industry — seemingly spooked the White House that such a move could anger Black smokers and harm President Biden’s reelection chances.
In an effort to force the administration to act, three anti-tobacco public health groups earlier this month sued the Food and Drug Administration and its parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been holding meetings with stakeholders for months, including tobacco industry lobbyists, public health advocates, industry-adjacent organizations, and civil rights groups.
Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, said she was "disappointed" by reports of the White House's plans on Friday.
"The FDA’s experts have been clear that menthol cigarettes are harmful to public health. This is a commonsense plan which could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives," said Kelly.
"The increased use of menthols among Black American has contributed to the Black community disproportionately suffering from tobacco-related diseases such as heart disease, lung cancer and strokes," she added. "I will continue to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to curb the harmful impacts of tobacco on communities of color and ensure that health equity is at the center of federal public health policy.”
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, blasted the administration's move to hold off on issuing a final rule.
“Two full years after releasing proposed rules backed by extensive scientific evidence – and more than a decade since the FDA began examining menthol cigarettes – the administration has failed to take decisive action to remove these deadly, addictive products from the market. The administration’s inaction is enabling the tobacco industry to continue aggressively marketing these products and attracting and addicting new users," said Brown.
Nathaniel Weixel contributed.
This story was updated at 3:35 p.m.
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Tag: | Joe Biden |
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