FDA Proposes Ban on Menthol Cigarettes, Flavored Cigars and cigarillos.

Public Health issued the following statement after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed product standards to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and to prohibit all characterizing flavors in cigars and cigarillos. 

“Public Health commends and thanks the FDA for their proposal to prohibit the sale of menthol flavored cigarettes and characterizing flavors in cigars,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “In 2019, The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products for retailers in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Like LA County's ordinance, which also applies to e-cigarettes, this proposal by the FDA prioritizes the protection of the health and well-being of youth and the general public. Menthol masks the harsh tobacco taste in cigarettes and cigars and there is ample evidence that flavoring tobacco products appeals primarily to youth, contributing to long-term addiction. This crucial step by the FDA will help prevent tobacco-related disease and death and counter investments made by Big Tobacco to market products that appeal to young people.”

For decades, the tobacco industry has used aggressive advertising tactics to attract Black/African American, LGBTQ, and young people to use and become addicted to menthol cigarettes.

Studies have shown people who smoke menthol cigarettes have a more difficult time quitting smoking than if they smoke traditional, non-mentholated cigarettes. Menthol and other flavors in tobacco can encourage experimentation by youth and first-time smokers as the minty flavor reduces the harshness and irritation of tobacco on the throat. According to the 2018 California Student Tobacco Survey, high school students in LA County who reported smoking cigarettes regularly reported smoking menthol cigarettes.

In 2021, Public Health launched its first quit menthol cigarette media campaign, targeting those groups most impacted by tobacco industry’s marketing of menthol tobacco products. The campaign included radio, online and social media advertisements, and place-based and outdoor ads at convenience store locations. The campaign also encourages people to call KICK iT California at 1-800-300-8086 (1-800-600-8191 in Spanish) for free counseling and help to start a quit plan. People can also visit Kickitca.org or LAQuits.com for resources to help quit.