Menthol cigarettes assessed by FDA panel

A panel of experts from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assessed the public health risks posed by menthol cigarettes in a new report.

Although the experts advised that “removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States,” they refused to go so far as to recommend a ban.

Menthol cigarettes have been blamed for encouraging young Americans to smoke.

The panel suggested further research into the issue. It could be that marketing restrictions are imposed by the FDA instead of a full ban. Tobacco companies will be unfazed by the report; the Chicago Tribune argues that their forceful political and legal power could delay new restrictions for years.

After the FDA panel report was released, tobacco companies stock prices increased. Furthermore, Barack Obama may be reluctant to campaign on such a controversial issue, at a time when he is also facing critics with regards to his healthcare reforms.

Studies show that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the US, taking more than 400,000 lives every year. Most of these deaths result from smoking-related cancers, while thousands more are caused by cardiovascular disease and emphysema and other chronic lung diseases. Research shows that smoking reduces life-span by between seven and eight years.

In addition, smoking costs the US economy more than $100 billion each year in terms of medical costs, on top of another $100 billion each year in terms of lost productivity.