Lawsuit seeks to force ban on menthol cigarettes after months of delays by Biden administration

By MATTHEW PERRONE
AP Health Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anti-smoking groups are suing the U.S. government over a long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes, which has been stalled at the White House for months. The lawsuit filed Tuesday aims to force federal officials to publish a rule banning menthol cigarettes, which are mostly used by Black smokers and young people. Health officials under President Joe Biden initially targeted last August to publish the rule. Then the date slipped until late 2023 and then March this year. Three anti-smoking groups filed the lawsuit in California after the White House missed the latest deadline. The Food and Drug Administration has stated that banning the minty flavor could prevent hundreds of thousands of smoking-related deaths.