In April 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would be introducing new product standards to ban menthol flavors in cigarettes and other flavorings in cigars. This decision was based on research that showed people who smoked menthol cigarettes had a more difficult time quitting than those who smoked menthol-free versions. It was estimated that if menthol cigarettes were no longer available in the United States, tobacco use would decrease by 15 percent over 40 years. Additionally, the ban would reduce young people's access to these addictive products that are often flavored with the same flavors that the FDA has already begun to regulate in vapor products. In Nevada, compliance checks conducted by the Nevada Attorney General's Office and the FDA revealed a 30 percent failure rate among retailers that sell tobacco products to young people, many of whom sell flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes.
The FDA has been sharing data on the threats posed by menthol and flavorings in tobacco products for years. The proposed product standards would prohibit menthol as a characteristic flavor in cigarettes and all characteristic flavors (except tobacco) in cigars. These flavorings make smoking easier because they taste good and make it easier to inhale the products. A new bill in Nevada seeks to end the sale of cigarettes in the state by 2030, but would somehow avoid cigars. This bill would allow Nevada counties to pass their own laws that would declare anyone born after December illegal.
