(WSVN) - Menthol cigarettes may soon become a thing of the past.
According to the New York Times, the Food and Drug Administration officials said the agency plans to propose a ban on menthol cigarettes as a part of its campaign against flavored e-cigarettes and some tobacco products.
The FDA says research shows menthol-flavored cigarettes may be harder to quit than their regular counterparts, in part because the additives reduce the harshness and irritation of smoking.
The proposal would have to go through the FDA’s regulatory maze first, and it would be years before the restriction would take effect. The proposal would also be delayed if large tobacco companies fight the FDA’s authority to do restrict it.
If the ban goes through, it would be a win for public health advocates who say a large number of African Americans have become addicted to menthol cigarettes.
Health advocates said the products were “marketed heavily” to African Americans.
According to the American Lung Association, black men and women are more likely to develop and die from lung cancer than people of any other race.
If passed, the United States will not be the first country to ban menthol cigarettes. Canada has already imposed a similar ban and the European Union’s ban is set to go into effect in 2020.
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