The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed on Thursday a ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars in a move aimed at reducing tobacco-related disease and deaths. 

“The authority to adopt tobacco product standards is one of the most powerful tools Congress gave the FDA and the actions we are proposing can help significantly reduce youth initiation and increase the chances that current smokers quit. It is clear that these efforts will help save lives,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.

“Through the rulemaking process, there’s an important opportunity for the public to make their voices heard and help shape the FDA’s ongoing efforts to improve public health," he added.

All flavor additives except menthol were banned in 2009, but smoking remains the largest source of preventable disease and death in the US.

Authorities say a menthol and flavored cigar ban will lessen tobacco-related health disparities, a nod to higher than average consumption among Latino and Black communities. Menthol also reduces the harshness from smoking, making it easier for youth and young adults to potentially pick up a life-long habit with dire health implications.

"The combination of menthol’s flavor, sensory effects and interaction with nicotine in the brain increases the likelihood that youth who start using menthol cigarettes will progress to regular use," the FDA said in a statement.

More than 18.5 million people aged 12 and older smoked menthol cigarettes in 2019, the last year for which government data is available. The FDA estimates that its proposed ban would lead to a 15% decline in the total number of smokers by 2040.

Some critics of the ban have said it could lead to an increase in police confrontations with minority groups, but the FDA maintained the rule would not affect individuals, and would instead be enforced at the manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, importer and retailer levels./aa