Chasing Life

Chasing Life   It’s been more than 50 years since the landmark Surgeon General’s report “Smoking and Health,” yet smoking is still the top cause of preventable death, disease and disability in the country. In general, cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the US, including more than 41,000 deaths from secondhand smoke.   Last week, there was another potential monumental moment in the fight against tobacco: The FDA proposed a rule to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.   "The proposed product standards would, among other things, improve the health and reduce the mortality risk of current smokers of menthol cigarettes or flavored cigars by substantially decreasing their consumption and increasing the likelihood of cessation. This is another important move forward in the agency's efforts to combat youth tobacco use and promote health equity," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf told a Senate subcommittee.   The FDA has considered banning menthol for more than a decade. It is the last flavored cigarette allowed in the US. The 2009 Tobacco Control Act banned all other flavored cigarettes and gave the FDA the authority to regulate the tobacco industry to protect public health. The law also required the FDA to conduct and fund research on menthol.   After several years of FDA investigation and public input from hundreds of thousands of interested parties, the Public Health Law Center and other groups filed a citizens petition requesting that the agency prohibit menthol in cigarettes. A 2020 lawsuit alleged that the FDA unreasonably delayed issuing a final response. In 2021, the FDA announced it would pursue rulemaking.   About 18.6 million people smoke menthols in the United States. That's about 36% of all smokers, according to the FDA, and a disproportionate number are people of color. The tobacco industry has heavily marketed menthol products to communities of color and other minority groups.   About 30% of White smokers choose menthols, but they are the cigarette of choice for nearly 85% of smokers who are Black. About 40% of women smoke menthols, compared with 31% of men, according to the FDA.   Cutting out menthol in cigarettes and cigars could have a significant effect on the number of smokers, the FDA said. By one estimate, it could prevent 650,000 premature deaths over the next 40 years.   Another study projects that an elimination of menthol as a cigarette flavor would lead 923,000 people to quit smoking, including 230,000 African Americans, in the first year and a half.   The proposal is still open for public comment, and the agency will need to make the final ruling.   We have a chance to make another landmark moment in public health and literally save lives.