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The long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes may not be announced by the end of the year, but pushed to 2024, according to officials from two national public health groups working to remove the products from the market.
Both requested anonymity to discuss the decision ahead of any announcement from the Biden administration. The delay could be announced as early as next week, they suggested.
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Officials from the public health groups worry that the ban may be punted well into next year, perhaps even after the November presidential election.
One of the officials was “deeply concerned” that the ban would not be put into place before the 2024 election.
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“Everything gets harder to do in an election year because people are distracted and bandwidth is stretched,” the official said.
The White House declined to comment.
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