FDA Will Ban Menthol Cigarettes

African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council used the World No Tobacco Day (May 31) to ask FDA to ban menthol cigarettes as they encourage more African Americans to smoke cigarettes.

As you probably know, menthol is a substance obtained from peppermint or oils.
Besides this, the Council made up a petition and calls people to sign it. The petition was presented to FDA in April.

Council representatives say menthol cigarettes have a harsh taste and it attracts more people to smoking them. Beginners and youth choose menthol cigarettes for their first smoking experiences. 

Statistics shows that 19.4% of black people smoke and among them 82.6% prefer menthol cigarettes. Smokers can inhale menthol cigarettes longer than other cigarettes and this may cause lung diseases.

In the USA, in 2009, the FDA banned such cigarettes flavors as grape, strawberry, vanilla, orange, coffee and cinnamon in the course of the programm Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, but menthol cigarettes were not banned. To say, In Brazil menthol cigarettes were banned.

Council representatives claim manufacturers use special marketing tricks to attract African Americans and to make them buy menthol cigarettes. Thus they use more menthol cigarettes ads in black communities. These ads are larger and are placed close to schools. Besides this, in black communities menthol cigarettes are cheaper, experts say.

In 2002 there was made a research called "The African Americanization of menthol cigarette use in the United States," and it showed that tobacco industry has successfully promoted the idea that menthol cigarettes are safe. The idea was especially promoted among African Americans. Moreover, tobacco companies donated money to different organizations to encourage groups to support them. On the market there are numerous brands producing menthol cigarettes.

Experts say that the number of people smoking menthol cigarettes is increasing.