Why a Federal Ban on Menthols Is a Minefield for Biden
[Daily Beast] In the era of Black Lives Matter, does the Biden administration really want to take on prominent activists like Al Sharpton and Ben Crump—and make lives potentially harder for Black men, all because the government says it’s in their best interest?
There is a cost-benefit analysis to be had between good public health policy and the dynamics of criminal justice reform as Democrats weigh the FDA’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes, which will disproportionately affect the Black community.
What doesn't "disproportionately effect" the black community ?
The question is whether the Biden administration can successfully perform this balancing act—and win over Black Democratic skeptics.
Nearly 85 percent of Black smokers use menthol (as opposed to just 29 percent of white smokers), and its alluring cooling effect attracts more than half of all kids who smoke. The FDA says a menthol ban would save lives—650,000 over the next forty years—with more than a third of them Black people.
Posted by: Besoeker 2022-05-12 |