The Trump administration has withdrawn a plan to ban menthol cigarettes in the U.S. in a setback to health regulators and activists.
The Food and Drug Administration had in April 2022 proposed to ban the sale of flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes after several health advocacy groups said they were highly addictive and played a role in luring young people to smoking.
A Jan. 21 filing by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a White House agency, showed the proposal has been “withdrawn.”
Menthol cigarettes, which make up a third of the industry’s total U.S. market share, have also faced scrutiny for their disproportionate impact on the health of Black communities.