As the Biden Administration stalls on its decision to ban menthol cigarettes, public health advocates and civil rights leaders are voicing their frustrations over what they see as political maneuvering in an election year. Originally proposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021, the ban aimed to combat the high rates of smoking-related illnesses among Black Americans and discourage youth smoking across the country.
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, criticized the administration’s inertia, stating, “Two full years after releasing proposed rules backed by extensive scientific evidence — the administration has failed to take decisive action to remove these deadly, addictive products from the market.” This sentiment is echoed by Erika Sward of the American Lung Association, who finds the delay “deeply troubling,” emphasizing that it “does not reflect the science or the response from the civil rights community.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra highlighted the need for further dialogue, explaining, “This rule has garnered historic attention, and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movement.” However, critics argue this is just a stalling tactic. Dr. Mignonne Guy, a member of the FDA’s tobacco product advisory committee, denounced the delay as “unconscionable,” driven by politics rather than public health.
The proposed ban is a critical part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, with research suggesting that it could avert as many as 650,000 smoking-related deaths, particularly impacting the Black community. Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, expressed dismay, stating, “The NAACP is outraged and disgusted, but we refuse to be deterred.”
Amidst concerns about electoral backlash and intense lobbying by the tobacco industry, the administration’s decision to delay could be seen as a bid to avoid further polarization. However, this comes at a cost, potentially alienating key voter demographics and undermining public health efforts.
