The Biden Administration has erred in delaying the ban on menthol cigarettes | PennLive letters [Video]

It is unacceptable and deeply harmful to public health that the Biden Administration today has once again delayed issuing the final rule to prohibit menthol cigarettes. This decision prioritizes politics over lives, especially Black lives. It is especially disturbing to see the Administration parrot the false claims of the tobacco industry about support from the civil rights community.

The fact is the menthol rule is overwhelmingly supported by Black civil rights, faith, public health, medical and other organizations – leading organizations like the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women Inc., the National Medical Association, the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, and many others. It is also supported by a majority of the Congressional Black Caucus. The groups opposing the rule are paid by the tobacco industry to spread false, fearmongering messages. It is shocking that the Administration is repeating the claims of a tobacco industry that has repeatedly lied to …