On June 22, 2009, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was signed into law by President Barak Obama. The Tobacco Control Act gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration broad authority to regulate the manufacture, marketing, sale, and distribution of commercial tobacco products. The Act did not include menthol in its ban on characterizing flavors in cigarettes, leaving menthol cigarettes as the only flavored combustible cigarettes available on the market. Significant racial disparities exist, as more than 80% of Black people who smoke prefer menthol cigarettes, compared to 30% of their White counterparts.
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act – An Overview | FDA
