FDA Panel to Consider Limits or Ban on Menthol

July 15 and 16 hearing will assess menthol's health risks and its addictive qualities.

July 09, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will consider next week the health implications of mint flavoring in cigarettes, a move that could lead to the outright ban of menthol cigarettes, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The tobacco industry will follow the deliberations closely, as menthol cigarettes account for nearly one-third of the $70 billion U.S. cigarette market.

An FDA panel will hear testimony July 15 and 16 on menthol??s health risks and its addictive qualities. It will also review the marketing strategies of menthol cigarette brands.

While most tobacco flavorings were banned in last year??s Tobacco Control Act, menthol was excluded. However, the law delegated responsibility to the FDA for regulating all tobacco products.

Tobacco executives maintain that menthol cigarettes do not pose additional health risks. "The science is clear and compelling that there is no differing health risk between menthol and non-menthol products," said Bill True, a Lorillard Inc. senior vice president.

However, public health advocates argue otherwise. "If menthol causes more people to start or makes it harder for people to quit, then that causes harm," said Danny McGoldrick, vice president of research for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

The panel is expected to issue a final recommendation to the FDA in March 2011.

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