Menthol Ban will Perpetuate Injustice in Black Communities

The failed prohibitionist policies of the past are back. On April 28, the Biden Administration announced its intention to use U.S. Food and Drug Administration powers to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes and all flavored cigars, including premium cigars. Advocates of these proposals disingenuously claim the prohibition will “advance health equity,” while ignoring concerns about the expected criminal justice ramifications that inflated prohibition will have on historically marginalized communities.  

Family members of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, and Eric Garner have called on the Biden Administration to reconsider the proposed ban, predicting it will “unleash a Category 5 unintended consequences storm in our communities.” FDA has claimed they will not enforce the menthol or flavored cigar ban on individual users. This is absurd, as enforcement against individuals has never been the responsibility of FDA.