THE FOLLOWING RELEASE IS FROM CONGRESSWOMAN ROBIN KELLY’S OFFICE
WASHINGTON, DC – Following reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has dropped plans to ban menthol cigarettes, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, issued the following statement:
“I am deeply disappointed that the FDA has chosen to abandon its established plan to ban menthol cigarettes. The FDA’s experts have been clear that menthol cigarettes are harmful to public health. This is a commonsense plan which could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
“In 2019, approximately 85% of non-Hispanic Black or African American smokers used menthol cigarettes, compared to 30% of non-Hispanic white smokers. This is the direct result of a deliberate decision made decades ago by the tobacco industry to target Black Americans with marketing for menthol cigarettes. In the 1950s, fewer than 10% of Black smokers used menthol cigarettes. The increased use of menthols among Black American has contributed to the Black community disproportionately suffering from tobacco-related diseases such as heart disease, lung cancer and strokes.
“I remain committed to working with the Biden Administration to advance racial equity and address systemic disparities in public health. I will continue to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to curb the harmful impacts of tobacco on communities of color and ensure that health equity is at the center of federal public health policy.”
Congresswoman Kelly led the Congressional effort by the majority of the Congressional Black Caucus to ban menthol cigarettes.
