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.
“The FDA remains committed to issuing the tobacco product standards for menthol in cigarettes and characterizing flavors in cigars as expeditiously as possible,” the agency said in a statement, noting that the process is in its final stage. “As we’ve made clear, these product standards remain at the top of our priorities.”
But some observers say other priorities are behind the delay, namely the Read more…
