WASHINGTON — Experts and advocates are calling on the Biden administration to do more to avoid potential confrontations between police and racial minorities if the Food and Drug Administration finalizes a ban on menthol cigarettes.
But they also fear the issue is largely out of the FDA’s hands.
Officials hope they can stem tobacco-related cancers that afflict Black smokers at higher rates by targeting menthol, the cooling effects of which make it easier to start smoking and tougher to quit. But those concerns have clashed with policing and racial justice groups that worry the ban will create illicit markets, leading to heavier policing in communities where cigarettes are often bought and sold on the street.
