Arizona’s top law enforcement officer wants President Joe Biden to follow through on banning menthol cigarettes.
A letter from Attorney General Kris Mayes and peers aims to dispel arguments of unintended consequences if a proposed ban long in the making takes effect.
Most of the hundreds of thousands of deaths that officials estimate a ban on menthol cigarettes could prevent would be among Black Americans.
But a ban proposed by the Food and Drug Administration hit an unexpected delay when the White House decided to continue review until at least March.
A new letter to Biden signed by Mayes says a menthol-cigarette ban would not lead to abusive policing of Black communities because those who profit would face enforcement -- not individual smokers.
The letter from 21 attorneys general also aims to persuade Biden that a ban would not cause a rise in illicit sales.
