Menthol Cigarettes Banned in 2021

In April 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it is advancing its commitment towards enforcing a ban on menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes within the next year. The essence of these enforcements is to significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality as a consequence of the widespread use of combusted tobacco products, which is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), menthol cigarettes make up about a third of all cigarettes sold in the United States. In response to public protest against the racially disproportionate demographic of tobacco product consumers resulting in disproportionate death rates in different communities, the FDA has, thus, decided to employ its Congress-delegated power to regulate product standards and begin working towards enforcing this ban.

The rationale behind the ban is the fact that menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes acts as an anesthetic (an agent that induces a local or general loss of sensation) and propagates the amplified addictiveness of cigarettes. In addition, the FDA is also working to build on its Tobacco Control Act (TCA) which previously banned on all other flavors in cigarettes and was enforced back in 2009.

Initial proposals and requests for comments from the public were made previously, before the FDA’s announcement in April. Some of these initial proposals included regulating the allowable level of menthol (that is, maximum or minimum levels) in cigarettes and other tobacco products besides cigarettes, establishing appropriate restrictions on the sale and/or distribution, advertisement, and promotion of menthol cigarettes, and other questions which the public was requested to respond to.

Further Reasons for the Proposed Ban

1. The vulnerability of minority populations: Studies have revealed that the communities of minority groups in the United States are the ones that experience substantially higher rates of disease and death from all smoking-related causes including heart disease, stroke, and smoking-related cancers, as well as experience adverse pregnancy outcomes. This is the case as a result of these minorities having been majorly targeted in the past by tobacco companies when they are advertising and promoting their products.

There is at least one tobacco shop or a shop selling tobacco products on every street in the neighborhoods that these minority groups reside. By way of promotion, there are always cheaper menthol cigarettes up for grabs in these neighborhoods. It has also been alleged that the tobacco industry also regularly donates money to universities, theaters, and political associations in these minority areas to encourage the further normalization of cigarette use amongst these peoples.

Another major cause for concern is how this has played out amongst American youth and young adults. Once vaping was banned, a lot of young people turned to menthol cigarettes. In fact, majority of addicted youth have admitted that the first cigarettes they ever smoked were menthol-flavored. This flavor is clearly the object that has increased youth initiation and facilitated addiction in so many young individuals today.

There have also been hopes expressed that this ban will create a butterfly effect and incite the government to address more of the health disparities experienced by communities of color, low-income populations, and LGBTQ+ individuals, all of whom are minorities that are more likely to use these tobacco products.

2. The ban will save lives: There are existing claims backed up by studies that the enforcement of this ban by the FDA will help to save more American lives. The reasoning behind these claims is the idea that banning all flavors in cigars will aid an increase in the chances of people quitting smoking as a result of the elimination of the major addicting elements in cigarettes.

The numbers to back this up are as follows: one study advocates that banning menthol cigarettes in the Unites States will lead an additional 923,000 smokers to quit, including 230,000 African Americans in the first 13 to 17 months after such ban goes into effect. An earlier study predicted that about 633,000 deaths would be averted, including about 237,000 deaths averted for African Americans if such a ban were to be implemented.

It is important to note though that the differences in cigarette smoking among racial and ethnic groups are not an exact mirror reflection of the observed racial and ethnic disparities in death rates. Banning cigarettes will not automatically put an end to preventable deaths in the country. Other health risk factors, access to medical care, and premature death from other causes, are also existing factors causing the morbidity/mortality gap between minorities and non-minorities. So the ban is in no way a cure-all.

To be able to accurately determine the real extent to which this ban is a solution and whether it is a real solution at all, reliable and more precise national estimates on smoking prevalence and morbidity and mortality among minorities must be gathered. The relationship between tobacco use and the occurrence of diseases that are disproportionately rampant among minorities should be studied, not speculated. Also, consideration should be given towards the development of culturally sensitive and acceptable smoking interventions in collaboration with these minority groups.

Reaction of Popular Brands That Produce Menthol Cigarettes to the Proposed Ban

Two of the leading brands that produce menthol cigarettes—Newport, a product from the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and Kool, from ITG Brands, the U.S. subsidiary of the British company Imperial Tobacco—have reacted to the proposed ban. The former has discredited all rationale behind the ban, stating that there is no real scientific basis for it and has promised to “participate in the rule-making process by submitting robust, science-based evidence.” Meanwhile, the latter company has expressed it hopes that in the wake of a lack of scientific evidence, the FDA will “follow by the law and prioritize sound policy and science over political pressure.”

A limitation in the ban exists such that the FDA cannot and will not enforce any new regulations against individual consumer possession or use of menthol cigarettes or any tobacco product. The ban will only address and regulate manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, importers and retailers.

Expert evaluation has revealed that the implementation of this ban will not be easy and will not come any time soon either. Predictions have been made that the entire process may take a span of between 18 months to 3 years. The reasons for this include:

The FDA could take up to a year to draft the rule.
The regulation will be subject to public hearings, debate, testimony, and all the other delegated law-making processes in force in the United States.
The tobacco industry will certainly find a way to counteract the law, most likely through legal action.

Why You Can Still Buy OHM Menthol Tobacco

While there is a proposed ban in the works on menthol cigarettes, there is no existing or impending ban on menthol pipe tobacco. You can still very comfortably and legally enjoy your favorite menthol-flavored pipe tobacco from your favorite brands like the OHM Menthol Pipe Tobacco which comes in both regular and gold-standard blends.

With a superior base tobacco leaf, OHM menthol tobacco offers a premium blend of Burley and Virginia tobacco, grown in the United States according to exact regulatory standards. The tobacco is then aged in local barns to mix and mellow the flavors and create a beautiful smoking experience.

OHM Menthol Pipe Tobacco is popular for its effortlessly light, frosty mint flavor. The menthol quantity is also moderate and is not harsh at all on your throat.

Why you should choose OHM Menthol Pipe Tobacco:

1. Its invigorating menthol flavor: The refreshing flavor of OHM menthol pipe tobacco is one of the things that make sit such a great smoke. The tobacco brand is known solely for its minty and frosty flavors that are of a widely liked gentle intensity.

2. Its tobacco is air-cured: OHM menthol pipe tobacco is sourced from selectively picked and air-cured blends of tobaccos. The Burley and Virginia tobaccos are very fresh with pleasantly luscious tastes when you light them up in your pipe. The tobacco also comes in a bag with a “Fresh-loc” seal that zips closed to keep your tobacco as fresh as the day you got it all the way to the very last puff.

3. Its profile is extremely gentle: Menthol flavor pipe tobacco can generally be a little harsh on your throat. However, this pipe tobacco has a very gentle menthol blend in perfectly moderate quantities that don’t feel harsh at all. It is a flawless and highly enjoyable blend of creamy and flavored tobaccos. The OHM menthol pipe tobacco can serve as an everyday smoke and is suitable for those who like to leave a fresh and mild minty aroma in their rooms.

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