The Biden administration is working on a final rule to ban menthol cigarettes, despite political opposition and warnings that the move could anger Black voters who have moved away from the president in the polls.
The government is expected to announce the rule will be finalized in March. That would be another delay after the August launch was pushed back to January.
The FDA announced new standards in 2022 for a ban on menthol cigarettes to combat illness and death from a product originally marketed to African-American smokers.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures cited by The Washington Post, 81 percent of black smokers choose menthol cigarettes.
The Biden administration is expected to again delay final rulemaking on a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes
The move comes amid polls showing that while Biden’s support among black voters remains high compared to other groups, it is declining as overall approval ratings are low, putting him in a tough race against the former President Donald Trump, who has gained an edge over his rival even as he refuses to rule out being a dictator.
The regulatory move has sparked debate between sides focused on potential health benefits and the ACLU and other groups that say it targets a specific group of smokers and would lead to black market sales.
Possible unintended consequences could include shifting production to China and risky sales from vehicle trunks.
House Republicans announced last month that they were reviewing the regulatory push.
The CDC has issued warnings based on scientific research that “menthol in cigarettes increases the likelihood that adolescents and young adults will start smoking and that those who start smoking will continue to smoke regularly.”
“Menthol makes cigarettes more attractive and easier to smoke,” according to the CDC. “In addition, menthol increases the addictive effect of nicotine in the brain.” “The amount of nicotine, the addictive drug in tobacco products, in menthol cigarettes has increased in recent years.”
It cited data showing that between 1980 and 2018, 10.1 million people started smoking because of menthol cigarettes, resulting in an estimated 378,000 premature consequences. The agency added up the total: 3 million years of “potential life lost” during that period.