Menthol Cigarette Ban Will Benefit the Black Community

The FDA plans to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes and all flavored cigars. The goal is to reduce disease and death caused by tobacco, and experts argue that young people are much less likely to smoke if the flavored options are done away with. The proposal expands on The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, which banned cigarette flavors other than tobacco and menthol. Menthol cigarette makers have targeted Black communities for decades, and the move is expected to increase health equity. A 2018 survey found that 85% of Black smokers favored menthol-flavored cigarettes.