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WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) – As millions of Americans head to their local gas station or store to purchase a new pack of Marlboro’s or Newport’s, they may soon see that their favorite type of cigarettes are no longer available for purchase.
According to an announcement made by the Food & Drug Administration back in 2022, the agency had begun planning to “propose product standards to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors (other than tobacco) in cigars,” due to “menthol being a flavor additive with a minty taste and aroma that reduces the irritation and harshness of smoking,” and now business owners and organizations are beginning to speak out about the possibility of losing large amounts of sales that could lead to workers being laid off.
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) estimates that a ban on menthol cigarettes would result in a $2.16 billion drop in revenues for the convenience industry, as the average convenience store sells $160,107 in tobacco products on average annually and $72,285 in non-tobacco miscellaneous sales every year. The ban would also affect some states as a whole, such as North Carolina, which saw over half a billion dollars in economic activity due to tobacco sales alone in 2022. A NACS spokesperson released a statement on the ban to Fox News Digital on Thursday saying, “The proposed ban would have the exact opposite results that proponents have championed. We hope that the FDA is reconsidering its policy in light of the evidence that these types of bans simply don’t work.”
North Carolina tobacco farmer Linwood Vick, who recently spoke to Spectrum News 1, said he understands the concerns, but a ban could force him to let go of over 100 employees and would put an unfair limit on Americans’ rights, saying, “I think we all know cigarettes are not healthy for you. But it is an adult choice and an adult privilege that we have.”
President and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Business Council (USHBC), Javier Palomarez, also took aim at the FDA’s proposed ban in a statement to the New York Post, saying, “The proposed ban, while well-intentioned, could have far-reaching economic consequences for convenience stores by cutting 30% of sales and the livelihoods of over 600,000 workers.”
Outside of economic effects, a ban could have significant political consequences as well, especially in Wisconsin since Badger State is home to the second-highest smoker population in the U.S. behind only West Virginia, but the agency and health organizations around the nation say people’s health is what truly matters, as some groups, such as the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council and Action on Smoking and Health, announced this week a new lawsuit against the FDA for delaying their ban on menthol cigarettes twice in recent months.
“If past practice is any indication of future performance, they’re going to sit on their hands again,” Phillip Gardiner, co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, told Bloomberg after the lawsuit was announced.
According to the CDC, at least 378,000 people died prematurely between 1980 and 2018 because of menthol cigarette use, and tobacco products are linked to more than 8 million deaths each year, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
This proposed ban comes as the U.S. continues to become one of the top consumers of marijuana in the world, as 24 states have legalized the product for both recreational and medical use. The industry made over $15 billion in revenue in 2022 alone.
However, some researchers, such as Professor of Medicine at UCSF Beth Cohan, are warning Americans that many of the health risks associated with smoking tobacco products also exist with marijuana, stating, “Cannabis has this increasing presence that normalizes it. People perceive that as ‘this is something I’m seeing more frequently, and it’s now legal for me to use, so it must be safe,” and “I don’t think there’s really convincing data on this idea that cannabis smoke is hugely different and safer, at least from a chemical perspective.”
American Lung Association Dr. Jankai Deepak spoke about the effects of marijuana smoke with Everyday Health, saying the risk to the lungs could be life-threatening, saying, “One interesting thing we see in the lung disease world with marijuana is that it causes a lot of inhalational lung injury. The small airways of the lungs get highly inflamed, and it produces a lot of damage to the lungs.” Deepak also noted that marijuana users generally inhale longer than tobacco users, which may lead to severe long-term lung issues, including lung cancer.
The Post reports the White House has not signaled when a ban could officially take effect, as the administration is scheduled to meet and discuss the issue further with groups like the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network and the National Association of Convenience Stores in the coming months.
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