you probably noticed a minty flavor

and a cool numbing sensation in the back of your throat.

That feeling is similar to the one you get

from smoking these, menthol cigarettes,

and it's part of why the Biden administration

is trying to prevent them from being sold.

- Health officials say

that menthol cigarettes are more appealing to young people

because the menthol eases the throat irritation

that you experience when you first try a cigarette.

- [Narrator] Aside from regular tobacco,

menthols are currently the only flavor of cigarette allowed

on the market.

And they're popular.

43% of smokers in the US used menthols in 2020.

Here's why the FDA wants to ban them

from being sold and distributed in the US,

and why the move is being opposed

by some Black community leaders.

Menthol, a compound that occurs naturally in mint plants

triggers the same receptors we use

to sense cold,

which creates that numb, chilling sensation.

Menthol brands like Newport,

the most popular menthol in the US,

emphasized the flavor in their older marketing.

♪ Smoother Newport ♪

♪ Fresher Newport ♪

♪ Smoother, more refreshing cigarette ♪

- [Narrator] But the FDA says that in addition

to reducing the harshness of smoking,

menthol also makes it harder to quit.

- Menthol interacts with nicotine

in the brain to enhance nicotine's addictive effect,

according to the FDA,

making menthol cigarettes even more additive

than regular cigarettes.

So they start kids younger

and then they keep them hooked for a lifetime,

US officials say.

- [Narrator] The biggest US tobacco companies

have rejected the FDA's findings.

- They say that menthol cigarettes

don't have any different health effect

than a regular cigarette.

- [Narrator] Despite this, the FDA got White House support

to move forward on the ban last year

as part of the Biden administration's

Cancer Moonshot initiative,

which aims to reduce the cancer death rate

by at least 50% over the next 25 years.

- The rules announced today would enforce regulations

related to what stores sell

and what companies manufacture and distribute.

- [Narrator] A recent study projected

that a ban on menthol cigarettes

would prompt an estimated 1.3 million US smokers to quit.

The FDA says that menthol smoking

disproportionately impacts youth and young adults.

In 2019, researchers estimated

that more than one million US middle

and high school students had smoked a cigarette

in the last month.

Of those, about 47% reported smoking a menthol.

The flavor is also popular among Black smokers.

- For decades, cigarette companies

have marketed menthol brands

like Newport, Kool and Salem to Black people,

distributing free packs in Black neighborhoods

and running magazine and billboard ads,

depicting carefree Black smokers.

- [Narrator] Black smokers are more likely to use menthols.

They also die at higher rates

of smoking-related cancers than other groups,

according to the CDC.

And US health officials say the ban

would help address those disparities.

The NAACP has been in support of the ban,

saying that "the targeting and marketing

of menthol flavoring

by the tobacco industry

have had a devastating impact on our community."

But others think the ban could present problems.

Reynolds American, which makes Newport,

has given money to prominent Black community leaders

who have opposed the ban,

like Reverend Al Sharpton

and Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump.

Crump says he's accepted money

from Reynolds for things like scholarships

for Black youth

but the money has not influenced his opinion.

Sharpton did not reply to requests for comment.

They, and groups like the ACLU

and members of the Congressional Black Caucus

have expressed concerns that the ban

will disproportionately impact people of color.

- They have argued that menthol bans

would lead to racial profiling

by police and expand the illicit market for cigarettes.

- [Narrator] In a statement to The Wall Street Journal,

Reynolds said, "It's important to note

that we do not make contributions conditional

upon organizations maintaining a particular position."

The Biden administration has said

that enforcement of a ban

would target manufacturers and sellers.

- This is not about going

after individuals smoking menthol cigarettes.

This is about manufacturers

and people who are selling them.

- [Narrator] Tobacco companies

could lose significant profits if the ban is enforced.

- They already have been grappling

with declining smoking rates in the US

and they are racing to develop

and market alternative products,

like e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches,

lozenges, and other alternatives

in the hopes that smokers will switch over to those.

- [Narrator] Even as smoking declines,

menthols remain a huge part of the cigarette market.

They account for about 1/3 of all cigarettes sold in the US.

British American Tobacco, which makes Reynolds American,

and Altria, which makes Marlboro

are the top menthol makers in the US.

Menthol makes up roughly 30%

of British American Tobacco's global profits.

Altria said in a statement

that it believes harm reduction, not prohibition,

is the better path forward.

Reynolds and Altria have hinted that they may sue

if the ban goes into effect.

- Litigation could tie this up for years.

So even if the FDA moved forward

and set an effective date of let's say 2024,

once that ban were implemented,

then the cigarette companies would likely sue

and hold it up further.

- [Narrator] The FDA will hear public comments

on its proposed rules

and will take time to review before finalizing the ban.