3 weeks ago
Biden delays menthol cigaret prohibition determination
The Biden management said Friday it would again hold a determination connected a regulation aiming to prohibition menthol-flavored cigarettes, citing nan "historic attention" and "immense magnitude of feedback" connected nan controversial proposal by nan Food and Drug Administration.
"This norm has garnered historical attraction and nan nationalist remark play has yielded an immense magnitude of feedback, including from various elements of nan civilian authorities and criminal justness movement," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said successful a statement.
The White House had already overshot a erstwhile self-imposed day to determine connected nan regulation by March. The norm had been stalled successful an interagency reappraisal process.
A elder management charismatic said it was difficult to put a timeline connected nan delay, citing lingering disagreements aft "months of difficult conversations."
The charismatic said they are asking for much clip to perceive from extracurricular groups, particularly connected nan civilian authorities side.
They acknowledged precocious rates of Black Americans dying from usage of menthol cigarettes, which drove nan FDA's first push for a ban, but said location were civilian authorities concerns astir really specified a norm would beryllium enforced.
The American Civil Liberties Union is among nan groups that has lobbied for months against a menthol cigaret ban, warning it would "disproportionately effect group of color" and "prioritize criminalization ove republic wellness and harm reduction."
"It's clear that location are still much conversations to have, and that will return importantly much time," Becerra said successful his statement.
The White House has truthful acold fielded more than 100 meetings complete nan connection pinch dozens of extracurricular groups for and against nan regulation, ranging from convenience shop associations to nan National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
Public wellness groups person voiced vexation for months complete repeated delays to nan FDA's connection that agency officials had hoped would beryllium a halfway portion of a national push to importantly trim smoking rates successful nan U.S.
Advocates person worried that delays will push nan norm into a model that would let opponents to overturn nan norm using nan Congressional Review Act during nan adjacent statesmanlike term.
"The administration's inaction is enabling nan baccy manufacture to proceed aggressively trading these products and attracting and addicting caller users," Nancy Brown, CEO of nan American Heart Association, said successful a statement.
At a House Appropriations Committee proceeding this month, FDA Administrator Robert Califf said nan prohibition remained 1 of his agency's apical priorities and said he hoped it would beryllium cleared by nan extremity of nan year.
"I'm a cardiologist and I practiced successful North Carolina for 35 years. I astir apt person seen much group dice from baccy related unwellness than almost immoderate expert because I was an intensivist who dealt pinch nan extremity shape of nan disease. This is simply a apical privilege for us," he said.
–Nancy Cordes contributed reporting.
- In:
- Biden Administration
- Food and Drug Administration
- Cigarette
Alexander Tin
Alexander Tin is simply a integer newsman for CBS News based successful nan Washington, D.C. bureau. He covers nan Biden administration's nationalist wellness agencies, including nan national consequence to infectious illness outbreaks for illustration COVID-19.
