BALTIMORE, Md – Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is part of a coalition of 21 Attorneys General who on Tuesday submitted a comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget, asking the Biden administration to complete its review and implementation of a plan to prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
The letter highlights calls by civil rights and public health groups to remove menthol tobacco products from the marketplace in order to protect public health and address the unequal impact of these products on minority communities and other vulnerable populations, including young people.
“Overwhelming scientific evidence – including the FDA’s own findings – leaves no doubt that menthol cigarettes have far-reaching negative impacts on public health, especially on young people and minority populations where tobacco companies aggressively market these products,” said Brown. “Masking the flavor of these products does not mask the harm to users’ health and wellbeing, and I support eliminating these products from the marketplace.”
According to Brown, tobacco companies add menthol to cigarettes and cigars as a flavor enhancer. This flavoring makes it much easier for young people to develop an addiction to nicotine.