FDA moves to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars

[BUtterfield 8 41,818]

The US Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to ban menthol flavored cigarettes and all flavored cigars, including menthol flavor, within the next year, according to an agency announcement Thursday.

The aim is to "significantly reduce disease and death" from using these two products. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Banning menthol—the last allowable flavor—in cigarettes and banning all flavors in cigars will help save lives, particularly among those disproportionately affected by these deadly products," Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement. "With these actions, the FDA will help significantly reduce youth initiation, increase the chances of smoking cessation among current smokers, and address health disparities experienced by communities of color, low-income populations, and LGBTQ+ individuals, all of whom are far more likely to use these tobacco products."

The agency said it hopes to have the ban in place in a year. It cannot ban the flavor immediately because the proposed change needs to go through a legal public comment period. 

The regulations would only apply to manufacturers, distributors, retailers, wholesalers and importers so that the product would never make it to the market. The agency cannot take action against individuals who would possess or use menthol tobacco products.

Source

[Ricardo 8,132]

Makes sense, I know a lot of people who wouldn't smoke if they couldn't get the flavored cigarettes, not anyone has a taste for regular tobacco, flavoring it is only masking its disgusting flavor and promoting its consumption 

[Magneto 13,546]

The Netherlands did this years ago and it actually made me quit smoking, so amazing! 

[Purrrrrr 18,075]

stupid

 

also the UK did this but you can now still buy menthol filters and (less minty) sterling duals

 

[Flippy 14,252]

**** this.... they already did this in Cali and I ****ing hate it

[monstrosity 3,979]

My first cigarette ever was a mentol, teens would be less likely to smoke if it’s banned, it worked on several countries, that’s a good thing! 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Just ban cigars, cigarettes, guns, etc...thx

[IWantYourLove 1,457]

It’ll work somewhat, but if it’s anything like the uk, the people they aimed to make stop smoking just started smoking normal cigarettes. I have 5 friends I can think of off the top of my head that just went ‘oh well’ and started smoking normal ones. 

[Benji 20,113]

I get people find menthols smoother on the throat and they’re more inclined to start smoking but they’re also dead handy in helping you quit 

I smoked normal cigarettes and roll ups for six years, I moved to menthols for a year, then I used a menthol flavoured vape as it still gave me that cool/minty throat hit and then I weened myself off of that over three years by reducing the nicotine.

[Gagasfirstnose 89]

Talk about an own goal. This unfairly targets the black community and I can't see them taking it lying down at all lol! Banning smoking entirely never makes sense, it just drives it underground and creates a bootleg market. Also alcohol is just as destructive as cigarettes and they ain't moving to ban that! From another viewpoint, how does it make sense to start legalising weed but banning smokes everywhere?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56934957

 

Let people have their choices. If they wanna smoke their brains out in the privacy of their own homes , let them!

[sillynate 6,170]

Flavored cigars? Like swisher sweets or white owl?