Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Investing

A Breath of Fresh Air: Trump’s FDA Takes a Step Back from the Menthol Ban

by January 27, 2025
January 27, 2025
A Breath of Fresh Air: Trump’s FDA Takes a Step Back from the Menthol Ban

Jeffrey A. Singer

On January 24, the press reported that the Trump Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn its proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. The agency did not issue a statement on the withdrawal. The Biden FDA originally proposed the ban in April 2021.

This action comes after the Biden administration delayed implementing the proposal in March 2024. In April 2024, then-Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Bacerra stated his department needed “significantly more time” to consider public comments and concerns about a menthol tobacco ban. Biden’s Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, urged the FDA to end the delay and impose the ban in November 2024.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2020, 81 percent of Black smokers preferred menthol-flavored cigarettes. Numerous civil liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, had opposed the menthol ban, concerned that menthol bans might exacerbate racial and ethnic disparities in law enforcement and within the criminal justice system.

In a May 2022 Orange County Register column warning a ban would ignite a black market in menthols, I wrote:

Remember Eric Garner? New York City’s exorbitant taxes on cigarette packages generated an underground market in untaxed individual cigarettes, called “loosies.” In 2014, police infamously encountered 43-​year-​old Eric Garner selling loosies on a street corner, and a policeman’s chokehold led to his death as he repeated “I can’t breathe.” And this happened without a menthol ban. With menthol cigarettes more prevalent among Black and Hispanic Americans, expect police to focus their attention on minority communities. This might make inequities in criminal justice even worse.

That same month, I submitted written comments to the FDA opposing the proposed ban. I included evidence that menthol cigarette smokers consume fewer cigarettes than regular cigarette smokers and may have a slightly lower risk of getting lung cancer.

President Trump did not sign an executive order to withdraw the menthol ban proposal. The FDA withdrew the proposed ban through an administrative action. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs formally documented the proposal’s withdrawal on January 21, 2025.

The Trump FDA’s withdrawal of the menthol ban proposal strikes an essential balance between health concerns and individual freedoms. It is rare but refreshing for a government agency to appear to consider the unintended consequences of its actions.

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Supply Chain Visibility Explained: Tools, Benefits, and Best Practices
next post
Two hundred UK firms cement four-day week as new norm

You may also like

Will Trump’s “Reciprocal Trade” Only Go One Way?

February 7, 2025

Is Our Credit Card System Broken?

March 19, 2024

Friday Feature: KaiPod Catalyst

August 2, 2024

Crime Rates, Not the Number of Crimes, Are...

April 17, 2024

Don’t Rely on DOGE: Congress Needs to Own...

March 3, 2025

The Black Market Beckons: Biden’s Last-Minute Move on...

January 7, 2025

Decriminalization vs. Legalization

February 13, 2024

White House and DOJ Keep CBDC Legislation Secret,...

November 14, 2024

What Is a Fee to the CFPB? And Should...

April 20, 2023

Cooper v. United States Brief: Terry Frisks Are...

September 24, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Trump inks trade deal with UK, previews China trade negotiations during 16th week in office

      May 10, 2025
    • Denmark PM says ‘you cannot spy against an ally’ following reports of US spying on Greenland

      May 10, 2025
    • Mexico sues Google for changing ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’ after Trump’s order

      May 10, 2025
    • Massachusetts suspect charged with attempting to assassinate a Cabinet nominee

      May 10, 2025
    • Pakistan says it has struck military targets inside India in series of new attacks

      May 10, 2025
    • Where the Market Goes Next: Key Resistance Levels + Top Bullish Stocks to Watch Now

      May 10, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (7,932)
    • Investing (1,945)
    • Politics (15,166)
    • Stocks (3,073)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved