The Biden Administration Wants To Ban Menthol Cigarettes, But It's Getting Surprising Pushback

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The ban raises concerns that criminalizing menthol cigarettes could further exacerbate our country’s racial justice problems if in possession of them.

From 2012 to 2014, 86% of Black smokers said they prefer menthol cigarettes, compared to just 28.9% of white smokers. This is particularly shameful given the many studies that prove Black people are more likely to die from smoking-related causes.In 2020, Rep. Karen Bass, then-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, slammed the tobacco industry’s “greedy and ruthless strategy” to target Black communities.

But some say that Biden’s plan could harm the very same communities his administration is trying to help. If menthol products are made illegal, this means Black people will also be disproportionately penalized for smoking.

. “Well-intentioned efforts to continue to reduce death and disease from tobacco products must avoid solutions that will create yet another reason for armed police to engage citizens on the street based on pretext or conduct that does not pose a threat to public safety,” the organization wrote. “Banning menthol cigarettes risks massive setbacks to our criminal justice system at precisely the moment we should be advancing reform.

That said, the NAACP and several Black doctors groups have come out in support of the menthol cigarette ban, stating in a letter that it would likely target manufacturers rather than creating criminal penalties.

 

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