Biden DELAYS menthol cigarette ban: President bows to political pressure and yanks move after fierce warnings it would anger black voters

The Biden administration is punting on a final rule for a ban on menthol cigarettes, amid political pushback and warnings the move could anger black voters who have been drifting away from the president in polling.

The administration is expected to announce the rule will be finalized in March. That would be another delay, after an expected August rollout got put off until January. 

The FDA announced new standards in 2022 for a menthol cigarette ban, in a move intended to crack down on disease and death from a product originally marketed toward African American smokers.

Among black smokers, 81 per cent opt for menthol cigarettes, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures cited by the Washington Post.

The move comes amid polls that show that while Biden's support among black voters remains high compared to other groups, it is slipping, amid overall low approval ratings that put him in a tough race against former President Donald Trump, who has assembled edge over his rival even while refusing to rule out being a dictator.

The regulatory move has prompted a debate between sides focusing on potential health benefits and the ACLU and other groups who say it goes after a certain group of smokers and would lead to black market sales.

Potential unintended consequences could include shifting manufacturing to China and risky sales out of vehicle trunks. 

House Republicans announced last month they are probing the regulatory push. 

The CDC has issued warnings based on scientific research that 'menthol in cigarettes makes it more likely that youth and young adults will try smoking and that those who start smoking will continue to smoke on a regular basis.'

'Menthol makes cigarettes more appealing and easier to smoke,' according to the CDC. 'In addition, menthol enhances the addictive effects of nicotine in the brain. The amount of nicotine, the addictive drug in tobacco products, in menthol cigarettes has increased in recent years.'

It cited data that 10.1 million people started smoking because of menthol cigarettes from 1980 to 2018, resulting in an estimated 378,000 premature. The agency added up the totals, 3 million years of 'potential life lost' during the period.