Coalition of politicians, health organizations demand White House finalize FDA ban on menthol cigarettes
NEW YORK -- A proposed Food and Drug Administration ban on menthol cigarettes is running months behind schedule.
On Monday, a coalition of local politicians and health organizations demanded the Biden administration quickly finalize the rules.
But, as CBS New York found out, not everyone is on board with a ban.
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On the front steps of Harlem Hospital, in a community where Big Tobacco aggressively marketed menthol cigarettes to people of color, health advocates called for those products to be put out once and for all.
"We are not going to allow future generations to be made subject to biochemical bondage," the Rev. Elder Kirsten John Foy said.
Menthols, which are known for their minty taste, are easier to smoke and harder to quit. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are the choice of 81% of Black smokers, compared to 34% of white smokers.
The White House Office of Management and Budget is currently reviewing an FDA proposal to prohibit menthol cigarettes and on Monday, local leaders called on the Biden administration to finalize those rules quickly.
"It is insidious to think that everyone else is protected from the dangers of smoking except for Black and brown people," Deputy Manhattan Borough President Keisha Sutton James said.
But not everyone supports a ban. In 2014, Gwen Carr's son, Eric Garner, was killed on Staten Island by cops enforcing cigarette regulations. Earlier this year, she led a protest as New York debated a similar measure, concerned that police crackdowns could led to deadly encounters.
"I know this is going to cause unintended consequences in our neighborhoods and this is what I'm against because I know my son was murdered because of unintended consequences," Carr said.
However, supporters argue the proposed FDA rules would only target manufacturers and sellers, not people who purchase or use.
"There would be no angle for police to overstep their bounds and say, well, I was checking on whether they were using menthol or where did they get this menthol because that's not even a violation under the law," said Kevin O'Flaherty of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
If and when menthol is banned, advocates estimate it could save up to 654,000 lives over four decades. A third of those lives saved would be among the Black community.
Once the FDA does make its decision, tobacco companies are expected to sue, as they have with nearly every other tobacco restriction.