Biden delays menthol ban amid 2024 concerns over black support

By Haisten Willis, The Washington Examiner

A two-year-old proposal to ban menthol cigarettes may be delayed until after the 2024 election as President Joe Biden weighs a move that could risk eroding his support within the black community.

The Food and Drug Administration first proposed banning menthols and flavored cigars in April 2022, but has since missed two deadlines for finalizing the rule, the second of which expired at the end of March.

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Biden’s menthol ban has received praise from public health advocates who say it can save hundreds of thousands of lives. The tobacco industry is also accused of disproportionately targeting the black community with its marketing of menthol cigarettes.

But the issue has divided black community leaders and drawn opposition from law enforcement groups.

The Rev. Al Sharpton has come out against the ban, saying it will give police more reason to target black people, though the ban’s advocates point out that he has accepted donations from industry groups.

Gwen Carr, an activist and the mother of Eric Garner, says the ban is inconsistent and racially inequitable. About 81% of black adult smokers used menthol cigarettes in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared to 34% of white adult smokers.

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Learn about other dangers the Black community faces from nicotine in this Breaking News article.

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