ATLANTA — The Food and Drug Administration has taken up the regulation of tobacco products as a key issue to focus on in 2023, particularly prohibiting the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and cigarillos.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and other agency officials have said that completing the rulemaking process for these products is a top priority for 2023, but cannot say when the ban will be issued. The agency wants to be clear that the ban is targeting industry and not the individual.
“We want to make sure that everyone understands what the rule is saying. It’s entirely written for manufacturers, distributors and those selling the products,” said Califf, who was in Atlanta on Tuesday for a conference. “There is no enforcement against an individual person who may be using these products.”
