2020年6月18日

非裔美国烟草控制领导委员会（AATCLC）和《吸烟与健康行动》（ASH）起诉美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）涉嫌对薄荷醇不作为。

原告已要求法院强迫FDA根据自己的结论行事，即从烟草制品中禁用薄荷醇将有益于公众健康。

2009年《家庭吸烟预防和烟草控制法》禁止卷烟中的香料，但排除了薄荷醇，但有待进一步研究。FDA的咨询委员会在2011年得出结论，“从市场上撤除薄荷卷烟将有益于美国的公共卫生。”

尽管得出了这一结论，并在过渡期间获得了一些支持声明，但FDA尚未开始制定从可燃卷烟中去除薄荷醇的规则。原告要求法院指示FDA采取行动。

根据AATCLC和ASH的调查，与吸烟有关的疾病是非裔美国人社区的第一大死因，并且85％的非洲裔美国烟民购买薄荷卷烟。

ASH执行律师罗密欧（Kelsey Romeo）表示：“由于一再拖延，FDA和美国政府未能保护美国公民，尤其是非裔美国人的健康，而且世界越来越多的国家禁止薄荷醇，美国也落后于全球趋势。”

5月20日，欧盟禁止使用薄荷醇卷烟。

ASH在一份声明中说：“我们的国家正处于一个至关重要的时刻，需采取消除系统性不平等和种族主义的行动以消除不公正现象，而这正是一个可以引发积极变化的行动的典范。”

African American Group Sues FDA For Inaction on Menthol

June 18, 2020 

The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) are suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for alleged inaction on menthol. 

The plaintiffs have asked the court to compel the FDA to act on its own conclusion that banning menthol from tobacco products would benefit the public health.

The 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act banned flavors in cigarettes but excluded menthol, subject to further research. In 2011, the FDA’s advisory committee concluded that the “Removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States.” 

Despite this conclusion, and several statements of support in the interim, the FDA has not begun the rulemaking process of removing menthol from combustible cigarettes. The plaintiffs are asking the court to direct the FDA to act.

According to the AATCLC and ASH, smoking-related illnesses are the No. 1 cause of death in the African American community, and 85 percent of African American smokers consume menthol cigarettes. 

“By continuing to delay, the FDA and the U.S. government are failing to protect the health of U.S. citizens, particularly African Americans, and the U.S. is also falling behind the global trend as countries around the world are increasingly banning menthol,” said Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy, managing attorney at ASH.

On May 20, the European Union banned menthol cigarettes.

“Our nation finds itself at a moment in time when action to eradicate systemic inequities and racism is crucial to fighting injustice, and this case is a perfect example of action which will elicit positive change,” said ASH in a statement.