The American Dental Association joined more than 60 organizations in an effort to prohibit menthol-flavored tobacco products, as the flavoring increases the number of Americans who make themselves susceptible to smoking-related oral health issues.
The coalition — which includes the NAACP, American Lung Association and American Academy of Pediatrics — sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, Nov. 9. It argues that menthol-flavored tobacco products increase the number of children who experiment with cigarettes and become consistent smokers.
The letter also says prohibiting the sale of such products will cause "significant numbers" of people who smoke menthol-flavored cigarettes to quit.
"The scientific evidence strongly establishes that the availability of menthol cigarettes both increases the level of smoking initiation and decreases the level of smoking cessation," the coalition wrote. "There is a growing body of evidence that the elimination of menthol cigarettes would lead a substantial number of current menthol smokers to quit smoking rather than switch to non-menthol cigarettes in response to a prohibition on menthol cigarettes."
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