The mother of Eric Garner sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday asking him to oppose the Biden administration’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes, which she said could lead to “increased negative encounters with police in communities of color.” .”
“Senator Schumer, you have long been an advocate for New Yorkers and have demonstrated a commitment to tackling difficult issues with both courage and compassion,” Gwen Carr wrote in a brief Nov. 9 message obtained exclusively by The Post.
“It is with respect for your role and trust in your leadership that I urge you to lend your voice to those of us who have legitimate concerns about the FDA’s proposed menthol ban.”
“I do not encourage, support, or promote smoking,” he added. “However, while the intent behind the FDA’s proposed menthol cigarette ban is to improve the health of Blacks, its potential to hurt Blacks and Hispanics cannot be ignored.”
“For nearly a decade, Senator Schumer has led the fight against e-cig marketers and makers who use child-friendly flavors and marketing tactics to peddle their dangerous products to children,” Schumer spokesman Angelo Roefaro told The Post in a statement.
The mother of Eric Garner sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday asking him to oppose the Biden administration’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes.William Farrington
Garner died in July 2014 after being illegally taken into custody by NYPD officers who were trying to arrest the 43-year-old Staten Island resident for selling untaxed cigarettes.
“Banning these products risks creating an illegal market, which could, in turn, lead to increased negative encounters with police in communities of color,” Carr told Schumer.
“We have seen the dangerous interaction that can occur when the sale of cigarettes is criminalized, as tragically happened with my son, Eric. I fear that well-intentioned policies, without thorough and inclusive research, can end up exacerbating systemic inequality.”
“Senator Schumer, you have long been an advocate for New Yorkers and have demonstrated a commitment to tackling difficult issues with both courage and compassion,” Gwen Carr wrote in a brief Nov. 9 message obtained exclusively by The Post. AP
President Biden’s Food and Drug Administration in April 2021 announced proposed federal regulations to ban minty cigarettes, along with flavored cigars — both of which, the agency said, are not particularly popular with black smokers.
At the time, the FDA cited studies that showed a menthol ban would prompt 923,000 smokers — including 230,000 black Americans — to quit within 13 to 17 months.
David Ozgo, president of the American Cigar Association, said his organization has presented evidence to the Biden administration that the proposed ban is not only outside the purview of the Tobacco Control Act but also has “little or no public health benefit.”
President Biden’s Food and Drug Administration in April 2021 announced proposed federal regulations to ban minty cigarettes, along with flavored cigars.AP
“The FDA claims product standards will reduce youth cigar use and banning flavored cigars will address health disparities in minority adult subpopulations,” he said, noting that the American Cigar Association presented “government data showing that both of these claims are untrue.”
Ozgo added that the police department also refuses to enforce crimes with “no victims.”
“These people just finished controlling marijuana,” he told The Post. “The last thing a police officer wants to do is start with tobacco.”
“I, along with other members of affected communities of color, suggest that the Biden-Harris Administration and its allies in Congress take a step back to study the implications,” Carr said. William Farrington
On October 13, the FDA sent its final rule for the ban to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review, signaling the menthol mandate is in its final stages of approval.
Regulatory interviews are still scheduled to discuss the rule over the next three months, according to the OMB website.
Sources told The Post the change could happen as soon as Nov. 15, the day before the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, which asks people to quit smoking.
On October 13, the FDA sent its final rule for the ban to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review, signaling the menthol mandate is in its final stages of approval.Getty Images
“I, along with other members of affected communities of color, suggest that the Biden-Harris Administration and its allies in Congress take a step back to review the implications of the light bulb ban,” Carr added in his letter to Schumer.
“We are asking that a commission be established that will conduct a thorough racial impact study and get input from leaders in communities of color before proceeding with any ban on menthol cigarettes.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in an earlier statement on the menthol ban said “the proposed regulations represent an important step to advance health equity by significantly reducing tobacco-related health disparities.”
The FDA directed The Post to a webpage with the secretary’s statement. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
