delays in the ban have stretched more than seven months
(FOX NEWS) – The Biden administration is preparing to soon finalize highly anticipated standards targeting menthol cigarettes despite heavy opposition from small business, civil rights, law enforcement and free market consumer groups.
The regulations, which would broadly ban the product, were first proposed by the Food and Drug Administration two years ago and have sparked a contentious debate between health advocates and civil liberties and business groups.
The FDA has repeatedly missed target dates for finalizing the proposed ban, the latest of which was earlier this week.
“The FDA remains committed to issuing the tobacco product standards for menthol in cigarettes and characterizing flavors in cigars as expeditiously as possible; these rules have been submitted to the [Office of Management and Budget] for review, which is the final step in the rulemaking process,” an FDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “As we’ve made clear, these product standards remain at the top of our priorities.”
But the Biden administration’s continued delays in finalizing the regulations has caused angst among proponents of banning menthol cigarettes, many of whom have argued such an action is vital for achieving goals laid out in President Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” initiative. The administration was first expected to finalize the ban in August 2023, meaning its delays have stretched more than seven months.
“This continued inaction is a shocking deference to the tobacco industry, which has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to profit from products that result in death,” said Karen Knudsen, the CEO of the American Cancer Society and its affiliate Cancer Action Network.
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