U.S. MINT

Biden Administration Drops Plan to Ban Menthol Cigarettes

The move comes after pushback from leaders of the Black community, where the president’s support has dipped.

The Biden administration has dropped a plan to ban menthol cigarettes after pushback from Black community leaders and civil rights activists. The Wall Street Journal notes that the president’s support in the Black community has dropped since his election in 2020, according to recent polls. Pushing ahead with the ban—in the works since 2021—risks alienating voters at a delicate moment. “It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time,” Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. Cigarette companies have long marketed menthols in the Black community, and some states and cities have banned them already. A study of a nationwide ban estimated that it could convince almost 400,000 Black smokers to quit, the Journal said. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), who heads the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, said she was “deeply disappointed” by the abandonment of the ban. “This is a common-sense plan which could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives,” she said.