Over the past year, we have seen the consequences of letting a deadly pathogen go unchecked in too many places and among too many populations. A similar scenario has played out over decades with tobacco, which is why it remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing nearly half a million people every year.
In the coming days, however, we can chart a new course. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will respond by April 29 to a citizen petition urging a ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes. The agency should announce that it intends to take that step while also requiring tobacco companies to reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels. Together, these actions would provide a monumental victory for public health, a generational advancement in our nation’s efforts to achieve health equity, and a significant step forward to protect ourselves against future pandemics.
The above is an excerpt of a piece originally published in The Hill.
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