{"abstract":"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is proposing a tobacco product standard that would prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Menthol's flavor and sensory effects increase appeal and make menthol cigarettes easier to use, particularly among youth and young adults. There are over 18.5 million menthol cigarette smokers ages 12 and older in the United States. This proposed product standard would reduce the appeal of cigarettes, particularly to youth and young adults, and thereby decrease the likelihood that nonusers who would otherwise experiment with menthol cigarettes would progress to regular smoking. In addition, the proposed tobacco product standard would improve the health and reduce the mortality risk of current menthol cigarette smokers by decreasing cigarette consumption and increasing the likelihood of cessation. FDA is taking this action to reduce the tobacco-related death and disease associated with menthol cigarette use. The proposed standard also is expected to reduce tobacco-related health disparities and advance health equity.","action":"Proposed rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Food and Drug Administration","name":"Food and Drug Administration","id":199,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/food-and-drug-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/199","parent_id":221,"slug":"food-and-drug-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2022/05/04/2022-08994.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"1162","title":21}],"citation":"87 FR 26454","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2022-07-05","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Submit either electronic or written comments on the proposed rule by July 5, 2022.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. FDA-2021-N-1349"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"PRIA Reference 160 California Environmental Protection Agency Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco 2005","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0469"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 150 FDA Review of Studies Assessing the Potential Impact Prohibiting Menthol 2022","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0459"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 136 Cotti The Effects of Tobacco Control Policies on Purchases Among Adults 2016","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0445"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 132 Friedman Youth Smoking and Ban on Sales of Flavored Tobacco Products San Francisco 2021","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0441"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 126 Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids States and Localities Restricted Sale Flavored Tobacco 2022","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0435"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 116 US Census Bureau The Number of Firms and Establishments 2019","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0425"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 104 Ganz Cigarette Smoking and the Role of Menthol Inequalities Sexual Minorities2021","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0413"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 98 Wackowski Menthol Cigarettes and Indicators Tobacco Dependence Adolescents 2007","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0407"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 96 Hersey Are Menthol Cigarettes a Starter Product for Youth 2006","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0405"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 76 Cubbin Intersection Gender Race Ethnicity in Smoking Behaviors Menthol Non Menthol US 2010","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0385"}],"agency_name":"FDA","documents":[{"comment_count":175539,"comment_start_date":"2022-05-04","updated_at":"2023-02-28T12:16:38.142-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FDA-2021-N-1349-0001","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0001","comment_end_date":"2022-08-03","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":559,"id":"FDA-2021-N-1349","title":"Tobacco Product Standard for Menthol in Cigarettes"}],"document_number":"2022-08994","effective_on":null,"end_page":26502,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2022/05/04/2022-08994.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/04/2022-08994/tobacco-product-standard-for-menthol-in-cigarettes","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2022-08994?publication_date=2022-05-04","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2022-05-04/2022-08994/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":49,"page_views":{"count":32338,"last_updated":"2026-10-22 18:15:05 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-05-04/pdf/2022-08994.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2022-08994.pdf?1651158920","publication_date":"2022-05-04","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2022/05/04/2022-08994.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"0910-AI60":{"issue":"202310","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0910-AI60/tobacco-product-standard-for-menthol-in-cigarettes","title":"Tobacco Product Standard for Menthol in Cigarettes","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202310&RIN=0910-AI60&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Section 3(f)(1) Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["0910-AI60"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"PRIA Reference 160 California Environmental Protection Agency Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco 2005","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0469"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 150 FDA Review of Studies Assessing the Potential Impact Prohibiting Menthol 2022","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0459"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 136 Cotti The Effects of Tobacco Control Policies on Purchases Among Adults 2016","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0445"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 132 Friedman Youth Smoking and Ban on Sales of Flavored Tobacco Products San Francisco 2021","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0441"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 126 Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids States and Localities Restricted Sale Flavored Tobacco 2022","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0435"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 116 US Census Bureau The Number of Firms and Establishments 2019","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0425"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 104 Ganz Cigarette Smoking and the Role of Menthol Inequalities Sexual Minorities2021","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0413"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 98 Wackowski Menthol Cigarettes and Indicators Tobacco Dependence Adolescents 2007","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0407"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 96 Hersey Are Menthol Cigarettes a Starter Product for Youth 2006","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0405"},{"title":"PRIA Reference 76 Cubbin Intersection Gender Race Ethnicity in Smoking Behaviors Menthol Non Menthol US 2010","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0385"}],"comments_count":175539,"agency_id":"FDA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=FDA-2021-N-1349","supporting_documents_count":559,"docket_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349","document_id":"FDA-2021-N-1349-0001","regulation_id_number":null,"title":"Tobacco Product Standard for Menthol in Cigarettes","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2023-02-28T17:16:37Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":false,"signing_date":null,"start_page":26454,"subtype":null,"title":"Tobacco Product Standard for Menthol in Cigarettes","toc_doc":"Tobacco Product Standard for Menthol in Cigarettes","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Labeling","Smoking","Tobacco"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":87}