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On Friday (April 26), the Biden administration announced it is delaying a proposed rule banning menthol cigarettes. While many leading health organizations supported the proposed ban, it has faced public backlash and criticism from several organizations.
"This rule has garnered historic attention, and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movement," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. "It's clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time."
The proposed ban has been in the works for several years but was delayed in December 2023. After the FDA missed a self-imposed deadline to finalize the rule last month, several groups, including the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, sued the agency for its inaction.
A government official told CNN there is no timetable for when the rule will be finalized.
"Hard to put a timeline on that," the official said.