The Food and Drug Administration sent its final proposal to the White House that would ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
The FDA estimates that 18.6 million people smoke menthol cigarettes. The agency notes that Black smokers are much more likely than White smokers to use menthol cigarettes. The FDA estimates that nearly 85% of Black smokers use menthol cigarettes, compared to 30.3% of White smokers. “The science and data are clear. Ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will save lives. It will also help reduce the unjust disparities in tobacco use caused by the tobacco companies targeting certain communities with menthol cigarettes," wrote American Lung Association President Harold Wimmer."Research shows that ending the sale of menthol cigarettes would result in a significant number of people quitting smoking.