Finalizing Regulations: FDA Plans to Ban Sales of Flavored Tobacco

According to a report by CBS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States is expected to finalize regulations prohibiting the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in the "coming months.

In April 2022, the FDA announced plans to ban the sale of these flavored tobacco products and set a deadline of August 2023 to establish specific regulations. However, the agency failed to release any relevant announcement last month.

Despite the fact that smoking rates in the United States have reached an all-time low, according to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the proportion of individuals smoking menthol cigarettes is on the rise.

Tobacco companies argue that there are better ways to reduce the health impact of smoking rather than banning menthol flavor in cigarettes. Vice President of Corporate Communication and Media Relations at Reynolds American Inc., Louis Pinto, stated in an email to CBS News, "Evidence from other markets, including Canada and the European Union, suggests that similar bans have had little to no impact on overall cigarette consumption.

Experts say that even if the FDA enforces a nationwide ban, it could take several years for it to become fully effective due to the likelihood of tobacco companies challenging the measure in court.