The U.S. Food and Drug Administration consider banning menthol cigarettes

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 23 issued a scientific assessment report, the report shows, mint flavoring makes it easier to start smoking and more difficult to quit smoking. The agency will decide whether to ban the use of menthol in cigarettes, while inviting the public right minty cigarettes “may be subject to regulation” to comment.

These advances allow anti-tobacco people very happy. Since 2009, these people have been calling for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take action. At that time, Congress decided to ban the use of flavorings in cigarettes, menthol but which have not been included, so that, whether its use constitutes a public health threat, it is handed over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to decide it. All cigarettes sold in the United States, the menthol cigarettes accounted for about one-third, and it is especially popular among black smokers. According to some federal survey data, about four-fifths of the black smokers said they suck menthol cigarettes.

However, advocates believe that this has been too slow to control the process, this is only indirect step, and now young adults, the ratio of absorption of menthol cigarettes has been increasing.

Many people had hoped that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2011 to take action against menthol. At that time, Congress appointed an external expert (who by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration convened) a committee, the organization found that menthol will give a negative impact on public health. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on July 23 to find exactly coincide with those conclusions, but let’s quite frustrating that against smokers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not expressly prohibit menthol demonstrated willingness.

“This is either just to ease the pressure, or it means that the matter has entered a practical aspect,” Initiative Campaign for Tobacco-head Matthew · L · Myers said.”They’re in it still exist differences.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s new tobacco center responsible person said Mitchell Zeller, Food and Drug Administration July 23 initiatives show that the agency is taking action as soon as possible, but he stressed that this does not mean they will be banned The use of menthol. Public comment will be open for 60 days.

“The United States Food and Drug Administration is an administrative body,” Zeller in a conference call with reporters said. “As a governing body, we can only act in accordance with the management rules.”

America’s largest menthol cigarette maker Lorillard said in a statement, “At present, the most authoritative science shows menthol cigarettes health effects and non-menthol cigarettes as well, so should not be treated differently.”

Indeed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration audit found that suck compared to non-menthol cigarettes, smoke menthol cigarettes does not increase the risk. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did find mint flavor will make people more likely to start smoking, increasing dependence on nicotine, and will reduce smoking rates.Against smokers believe that these conclusions should play urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take action role.

Myers says that he chose this opportunity to issue a statement is likely to be along with international trade disputes related. WTO ruled that if the U.S. still allow the sale of menthol cigarettes, then the United States under the 2009 legislation prohibiting the practice of small cigarette trade on rights violations in Indonesia.The United States must be made in the July 24 ruling obedience action.

Lawsuit kretek in Indonesia is the country of manufacture. U.S. says menthol cigarettes on public health threats and clove cigarettes are different, but the WTO does not accept this argument.

Against smokers that, for the first time young people who smoke, menthol cigarettes had stimulated the taste becomes even more pleasure. And, although the U.S. smoking rate has been reduced, but the 18-year-old to 25-year-olds suck ratio of menthol cigarettes has increased by – according to the 2011 federal report, from 2004 this proportion had risen to 13% 2010 of 16%.

Against smokers said that young black particularly vulnerable. 2004, a study showed that more than three-quarters of black teenagers and young adults are often suck black smokers Newport cigarettes, Lorillard is the production of a menthol cigarette.

In 2011, researchers led by Stanford University study found that some high school in California is within walking distance of stores often have a large number of black students patronize these stores tend to promote menthol cigarettes. The study also found that the most popular menthol cigarette brand Newport prices are generally lower.

Lorillard does not agree with this conclusion, saying the company’s product marketing strategy “in the entire state of California are the same,” are the retailers set their own prices.

UCSF researcher Valerie Ye Jie said that racial issues to the discussions on menthol complicated. Ye Jie worked in 2010 for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and its committee of experts to provide testimony. Several Ethiopian groups lobbied against a ban on the grounds that this is discrimination against blacks, because I like menthol cigarettes, a higher proportion of blacks.

Experts said that racial politics are quite sensitive, though it is unclear which is not to promote one of the factors slowing down the process of supervision.

55-year-old lawyer was appointed in March Zeller led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s tobacco sector. Despite doubt that many people seem willing to believe that anti-tobacco him. He began his career in the health of consumers rights organizations “CSPI”, and many anti-smoking people think he is a strong advocate of public health.

In Minnesota lawyers practicing Qiaoai Er Lester said, “for he will take concrete actions menthol this point, I hold cautiously optimistic.” Leicester tobacco control policy research nonprofit legal centers group “Tobacco Control Law Alliance” work.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced that this year will launch a public education campaign targeting young people activities, and plans for three relevant agencies entrusted with menthol of the new studies, one on the impact of genetic variation on taste, is expected to explain why certain ethnic populations are more suction menthol cigarettes.

Zeller said, “The key is that we need more information, we also need public participation.”