Civil rights and public health groups are outraged by what they see as a delay in the Biden administration's potential ban on menthol cigarettes, and are meeting with White House officials this week to push for a measure they say will save lives. did.
The group said there may be some hesitation from the government to avoid potentially offending black voters, who are disproportionately likely to smoke menthol.
Yolonda Richardson, president and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, who spoke at the meeting, told Wakabia: "Our concern about the delay is that this is not actually the reason." Told. She said, "I'm not in her shoes, but I think you're doing the right thing when you're balancing two different competing interests that are important to you. What do you think?"
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told Wakabia in October that a ban is a "top priority for FDA," and Richardson said the administration had initially promised to take action by the end of the year.
"That's their rule," she said. “Some people may want to feel like science is enough.”
He said he left Tuesday's meeting with a "fairly positive feeling" that the groups' concerns had been heard, but also said there was still a sense that the groups needed to continue pushing the government to take action.
Concerns about delays
The FDA has been considering banning menthol cigarettes for nearly a decade, but anti-tobacco groups have taken a "significant" step forward by finally sending a final rule on the issue to the White House. It was after the moon. The home was submitted for review.
In the federal government's extensive rulemaking process, tobacco regulators cannot simply finalize rules and make a ban go into effect. The White House Office of Management and Budget must approve the FDA's proposed language.
But when the federal government released a regulatory to-do list called the "Uniform Agenda for Regulation and Deregulation" in early December, it indicated that final menthol regulations were not expected until March. Amid growing concerns, a coalition of more than a dozen prominent civil rights and health groups said Tuesday they met with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and White House leaders to encourage implementation of the ban currently in place. Announced.
“This was a public health issue that had nothing to do with politics, and now it has everything to do with politics,” said Founding Member and Co-Chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, who attended the event. Carol McGruder said. At the White House.
"This is a product that has killed a million black people over the last 20 years. It is the number one cause of death and therefore should always be in the top five policy priorities," McGruder said. .
The virtual conference was attended by the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Truth Initiative, African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, National Council of Black Women, NAACP, National Coalition for Black Civic Engagement, and others. tobacco. The White House Office of Management and Budget, which oversees executive branch regulation, did not respond to Wakabia's request for comment on the regulatory status.
“As is normal with all rules, OIRA is working to schedule meetings with all applicants while the rule is being considered. “OIRA is approving participants. No,” the administration official said, referring to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, part of the Office of Management and Budget.
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potential to save lives
The number of people who smoke cigarettes in the United States has fallen to an all-time low, but the percentage of people who smoke menthol is increasing, according to the CDC. Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. This issue is particularly important to the black community. That's because the tobacco industry has been aggressively marketing menthol products to black communities for decades, and the move is working. A 2020 study showed that more than 83% of Black smokers smoke menthol, compared to 43% of adult smokers.
A 2022 study found that banning menthol cigarettes in the United States would save up to 654,000 lives over 40 years, including 255,000 lives in Black communities.
It would also eliminate some of the major health disparities between blacks and whites in the United States, according to a study by the Council on Foreign Relations.
Black people are significantly more likely than white people to die from smoking-related diseases such as stroke, heart disease, and lung cancer. Black people make up 12% of the U.S. population, but from 1980 to 2018, Black communities accounted for 41% of premature smoking-related deaths and 50% of life years lost associated with the use of menthol tobacco products. Research has revealed that. A study by the Council on Foreign Relations found that if menthol were banned, the gap in lung cancer deaths between blacks and whites would narrow within five years.
Banning menthol could also deter children from starting the habit. Research has shown that menthol cigarettes are attractive to new smokers because the flavor masks the harsh tastes and odors that deter some new smokers. Menthol numbs your throat, making it easier to inhale the dangerous smoke deeply.
According to the CDC, more than half of children who smoke choose menthol cigarettes. Studies have shown that children who smoke menthol are more likely to smoke regularly than occasionally.
The coalition reviewed many of those statistics at its meeting this week, and McGruder said he came away feeling hopeful. Her administrator seemed "enthusiastic and attentive," she said. It also helped, she said, that participants included strong organizations that were "respected by the people" and represented the black voters the government needed in next year's elections.
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