SUMMERVILLE, S.C. -- A bill to regulate tobacco products has lost the support of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network (NAATPN), an antismoking group, which said the legislation failed to adequately protect the health of African-Americans because it would not ban menthol flavorings from cigarettes. The legislation, which has been cleared by crucial committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, would ban candy, fruit and spice flavorings in cigarettes, but specifically exempts menthol flavorings, reported The New York Times.
That special protection for [image-nocss] menthol has been considered crucial to getting the nation's biggest cigarette maker, Philip Morris USA, to support the legislation, said the report. Menthol-flavored cigarettes account for more than 25% of the $70 billion domestic cigarette market, according to the newspaper. PM USA's Marlboro Menthol is the second-largest menthol brand behind Newport, made by Lorillard.
Many antismoking groups have seen the menthol exemption as a necessary compromise in getting a tobacco bill through Congress. They have noted that the bill would empower the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) eventually to limit or ban menthol and other tobacco additives if it found those products to be unhealthful.
The NAATP has withdrawn its support, saying that recent publicity about the menthol exemption had created a backlash among its members. Menthol brands are chosen by about 75% of African-American smokers, a group with a disproportionate share of smoking-related cancers.
"Our constituents across the country are just livid," William S. Robinson, executive director of the group, told the paper.
While the bill still has the support of most public health organizations, the withdrawal of support by Robinson's group underscores the delicate nature of the coalition endorsing it, said the report. Despite the support of PM USA, most other cigarette companies oppose the bill. And despite broad support in both the Senate and the House, the legislation faces formidable opposition from some senators from tobacco states and from the White House. Even some backers of the legislation have expressed concern that an abbreviated election-year legislative schedule might also mean the bill will not be voted on this year, the Times said.
Research has been inconclusive on whether menthol contributes to cigarette addiction or otherwise plays a role in high cancer rates, added the report. But public health experts have long raised concerns about the additive, and about marketing of menthol brands specifically aimed at black smokers.Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.