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distinguish from the candy displays near which they are frequently placed in retail outlets. In California, nine out of ten high school tobacco users report using flavored products.' Menthol Cigarettes Increase Smoking Among Youth No other flavored product contributes more to the death and disease caused by tobacco use than menthol cigarettes. We applaud your decision not to exempt menthol cigarettes from your ordinance. Menthol delivers a pleasant minty taste and imparts a cooling and soothing sensation. These characteristics successfully mask the harshness of tobacco, making it easier for beginner smokers and kids to tolerate smoking. The FDA's Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) has reported that: • Menthol cigarettes increase the number of children who experiment with cigarettes and the number of children who become regular smokers, increasing overall youth smoking. • Young people who initiate using menthol cigarettes are more likely to become addicted and become long-term daily smokers. • The availability of menthol cigarettes reduces smoking cessation in some populations, especially among Black Americans, and increases the overall prevalence of smoking among Black Americans. • Menthol cigarettes are marketed disproportionately to younger smokers and are disproportionately marketed per capita to Black Americans. After a thorough review of the evidence, TPSAC concluded that "Removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States."' A decade later —in April 2021—the FDA announced its intention to pursue rulemaking to prohibit menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. However, until any FDA action is finalized, states and cities should continue their growing efforts to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products. It will take time for the FDA to finalize and implement the necessary regulations to prohibit menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, and tobacco industry lawsuits could cause more delays. States and cities have an obligation to protect the health of their citizens and must act now to stop tobacco companies from targeting kids, Black Americans and other groups with menthol cigarettes and other flavored products. We can't afford more delay in taking action to protect kids and save lives.