There is a bill before Congress right now that would ban some flavor additives in cigarettes: mint, clove, and vanilla. These flavorings are under fire because they’re seen as appealing to young people. One flavor that isn’t on the list? Menthol.
According to government estimates, menthol is a pretty popular cigarette flavoring among certain groups of smokers. More than seventy-five percent of black smokers choose menthol cigarettes. That translates into nearly thirty percent of the entire cigarette market.
Some members of the American Medical Association — including some who served as government health secretaries under several administrations — are opposing the bill as it is currently written. They feel that if the Food and Drug Administration is going to have the power to ban mint, clove, and vanilla flavoring, they should ban menthol flavoring too.
However, the AMA has voted to stay silent on the tobacco bill so far. One reason? They fear that adding menthol to the bill could derail the legislation. Leaving menthol out of the legislation helped Congress reach a compromise on government regulation of cigarettes. In addition to banning flavors that would lure in new smokers, the bill would give the FDA the authority to reduce harmful ingredients in cigarettes, remove misleading labels like “light” and “mild”, and require new health warnings on packages.
The National African American Tobacco Prevention Network feels that leaving menthol out of the legislation will harm the black community. They’d like to see a bill that doesn’t have the cigarette makers (like Philip Morris USA) behind it — something that protects ALL smokers.
Supporters of the bill point out that most flavor additives are used in the hopes of attracting new smokers. Menthol is a flavor that is already popular with established and mature smokers. Banning the flavoring wouldn’t necessarily force current smokers to quit.