FDA Prepares to Ban Menthol Cigarettes Across Nation
The Food and Drug Administration is preparing to bar menthol cigarettes nationwide in a plan to be released Thursday, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The menthol ban would be one of FDA’s most aggressive tobacco reform efforts since the agency first began regulating the industry in 2009, and one long-awaited by scores of public health groups. But it also will likely take years to implement, and FDA does not yet have a permanent commissioner in place for what could be a lengthy battle with industry.
The agency will issue the plan as a response to a 2013 citizen’s petition brought by public health groups. A court ordered FDA to respond to the petition by April 29 after two anti-tobacco groups sued for a decision last year. The agency can implement a menthol ban through rule-making, which would involved a draft rule and seeking months of public comments.
