Martinez urges to ban menthol cigarettes

MARTINEZ, Calif. -- The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution today urging the Food and Drug Administration to ban menthol in cigarettes and flavoring in other tobacco products.

In 2009, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was signed into law, giving the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products.

The law made the sale of flavored cigarettes illegal because they were considered starter products that get young people addicted to tobacco. The ban, however, exempted menthol-flavored cigarettes.

The FDA is currently reviewing information about menthol cigarettes and deciding whether to ban them as well.

In their resolution, which will be sent to the FDA, the supervisors stated that, like other flavored tobacco products, menthol cigarettes are indeed more appealing to children and have been shown to be starter products.

The resolution also states that tobacco companies have specifically targeted minority populations in their marketing campaigns for menthol cigarettes.

Get more East Bay News »

smoking, martinez, contra costa county, east bay news

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•