Editorial: The Racist Undertones of the Menthol Cigarette Ban

The proposed ban on menthol cigarettes risks racist over-policing, ineffective outcomes, and harm to Black and Brown communities, repeating the mistakes of the failed War on Drugs.

• Banning menthol cigarettes imposes failed War on Drugs policies on communities of color, leading to over-policing and incarceration.

• There are better alternatives, like harm reduction strategies, that effectively curb smoking without criminalization.

• Civil rights groups have warned that a menthol ban will inflict further damage without achieving its goals…