Jeff Carey is a veteran reporter covering sports and architecture. He was the founding editor of the Minneapolis Mini Times, a local paper with a circulation of more than 500,000. He divides his time between the east and west coast.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Biden administration has scrapped its controversial plan to prohibit the sale of menthol-flavored throat lozenges, according to an announcement made by the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday.
The proposed ban, which was first unveiled last year, aimed to reduce youth access and appeal to menthol-flavored tobacco products. However, it drew intense pushback from public health experts, advocacy groups, and manufacturers of over-the-counter menthol cough drops and lozenges.
"After carefully reviewing all evidence and public comments, the FDA has determined that menthol lozenges for temporary relief of cough and sore throat symptoms do not present the same level of public health risk as menthol-flavored tobacco products," said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, M.D. in a statement.
The FDA had initially argued that menthol's cooling and numbing properties could desensitize the throat, leading to increased tobacco use and nicotine addiction among youth. But many health organizations countered that menthol lozenges are a safe and effective short-term treatment when used as directed."
We're pleased the administration recognized the fundamental differences between menthol lozenges and combustible tobacco products," said Scott Melville, president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. "Removing these products from stores would have been extremely disruptive for millions of families who depend on affordable OTC cough remedies.
"Anti-smoking advocates expressed disappointment at the FDA's reversal on menthol lozenges but welcomed the agency's continued focus on prohibiting menthol in cigarettes and other tobacco products.
"While we disagree with today's decision, we laud the FDA's broader efforts to protect youth by banning menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and certain other tobacco products," said Erika Sward, national assistant vice president of advocacy for the American Lung Association.
The FDA said it will continue to monitor the scientific evidence on menthol in over-the-counter drug products and take additional action in the future if necessary to protect public health.
The menthol lozenge decision comes as the Biden administration is facing multiple legal challenges to its proposed rules banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. Those bans were initiated following growing evidence that menthol increases the appeal of tobacco products among youth and undermines quitting among Black smokers.
Jeff Carey is a veteran reporter covering sports and architecture. He was the founding editor of the Minneapolis Mini Times, a local paper with a circulation of more than 500,000. He divides his time between the east and west coast.
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