Corrected 5:03 p.m. | The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday proposed a long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, targeting products used by more than a third of smokers.
The agency estimates roughly 18.5 million people use menthol cigarettes. The products are particularly popular with Black smokers, with three out of four reporting using menthol products.
More than a third of smokers under 18 use menthol cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA’s proposed rule says more than half of young people who smoke cigars use flavors. The ban would take effect one year after the final rule is published.
