With a federal menthol ban looming, tobacco companies push 'non-menthol' substitutes

The packaging on Kool brand's "non-menthol" cigarettes and its existing menthols are very similar. Anti-smoking activists argue this is a way to get around any ban on menthol cigarettes by appealing to consumers who like to smoke menthols. (Stanford Medicine)

A long-awaited federal ban on menthol cigarettes and cigars remains in limbo, after the White House delayed finalizing a proposed rule until at least this month.

In states like California and Massachusetts where such restrictions already exist, tobacco companies are launching new menthol-like products to try to sidestep regulations.