Menthol cigarettes kill thousands of Black Americans every year but President Biden would rather win their votes than save their lives, as explained by the trial attorney defending the U.S. government in a lawsuit brought by public health groups.
Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously expressed its intent to ban menthol cigarettes by March 2024, the White House is holding up the implementation of the prohibition. The reason – U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney Isaac Belfer tells Project Veritas – is President Biden’s fear of alienating black voters in an election year.
“Biden doesn’t want to pass this regulation [menthol cigarette ban] because he’s worried he will lose Black voters.”
Three public health groups (African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, Action on Smoking and Health, National Medical Association, and American Medical Association) are suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their failure to expedite the ban of menthol cigarettes.
“So, we’re being sued saying, ‘You should pass this regulation now. There’s no excuse holding it up because people are dying every day from menthol cigarettes.’ So we’re defending that.”
Belfer explains that the effort to ban menthols has been ongoing for over ten years but now that the implementation is at the finish line, President Biden is purposefully delaying its rollout because he “needs black votes.”
On video recording, Belfer goes on to acknowledge that “many thousands of Black people die every year because of menthol cigarettes.” He told our journalist that the FDA wants the regulation to pass, but its hands are tied as the decision is being slow walked by the Biden White House.
“There is a very strong public health reason to prohibit these [menthol cigarettes]… As far as the FDA is concerned, they want this regulation to pass. But… it’s now being reviewed by… the executive office of the president. So, the broader White House that reviews all regulations.”
Black smokers overwhelmingly reach for menthol cigarettes – a mint-flavored tobacco popularized in the Black community through cigarette brands like Newport. After decades of targeted advertisement from the commercial tobacco industry, 75-85% of all Black smokers choose menthol brands.
Anti-smoking advocates and African American physician groups say banning menthols will help to reduce the 45,000 number of Black Americans who die each year due to tobacco use. However, civil rights leaders like Reverend Al Sharpton and others have warned that a menthol ban would create a black market for the product, leading to unjust policing of Black communities.
Belfer explained, “There is a concern that you might not want to do something like criminalize a product that’s use by tons of Black people – especially before an election where Biden needs Black votes.”
However, the FDA rejects this concern noting that a federal menthol ban would outlaw the manufacture and sale of menthol cigarettes but would not prohibit smokers from possessing the product.
Public health groups believe that Big Tobacco is influencing the Biden White House by commissioning studies that show that a menthol ban is unpopular among Black voters. Belfer also expressed some suspicion that the tobacco industry could be behind a campaign to discredit the regulation.
“I don’t know to what extent the opposition to this regulation is manufactured by the tobacco industry because they are not disinterested parties here.”
In fact, according to one poll commissioned by Altria Tobacco and reported by National Review, 54% of Biden’s “core” minority voters oppose the ban.
Public health groups continue to call on the Biden White House to prioritize human life and the health of the Black community, but Belfer says the decision to ban menthols could be devastating political decision for a president who relies on the Black vote to win elections.
“This will definitely affect the election.”
Until then, Belfer continues to defend the government from ongoing lawsuits trying to force the administration to follow through on their commitment to put the ban in place.
About Project Veritas
Project Veritas is a non-profit investigative news organization conducting undercover reporting. Project Veritas investigates and exposes corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud, and other misconduct in both public and private institutions to achieve a more ethical and transparent society. Project Veritas is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
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