ATS Comments on FDA Proposed Rules to Ban Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars 

Several ATS members participated in an FDA virtual public hearing to collect comments on the Agency’s proposed rules to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in the U.S. The ATS members expressed strong support for the FDA proposed rules and urged the agency to move forward quickly to finalize and enforce the bans on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. The comments noted that menthol and flavors are used by the tobacco industry to lure youth into tobacco use and that the tobacco industry intentionally markets these products to minority communities.   

ATS members also noted that the proposed rules apply to manufacturers and retailers of tobacco products and do not apply to individual citizens. Opponents of the proposed rules have falsely suggested that the proposed rules will lead to criminalizing individuals who use tobacco products.