Menthol Cigarettes, Cigars Face U.S. Ban in FDA Proposals (2)

Menthol cigarettes and cigars would be banned from sale under two proposed rules released Thursday, marking a long-awaited step in the FDA’s efforts to address tobacco-related health disparities.

The Food and Drug Administration issued new product standards targeting menthol and other flavored tobacco products that can make smoking harder to quit, especially among youth. These products are often disproportionately used by Black Americans and other minority groups.

“We need a care package to help them quit. People don’t realize that the addictiveness of nicotine ranks right up there with opioids,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said Thursday at a hearing.

The ...