Today, the FDA proposed a ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. In response, Dr. Rachel Villanueva, President of the National Medical Association, the largest group of Black physicians in the country, issued the following statement:
“Today’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will save Black lives. If the ban is finalized, it will prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit. For too long, menthol cigarettes have had an insidious grip on African American communities. As Black physicians, we applaud the FDA for taking such an important measure to reverse the adverse health outcomes that disproportionately affect our communities and are directly related to the use of these tobacco products.”
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The NMA promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. We carry out this mission by serving as the collective voice of physicians of African descent and a leading force for parity in medicine, elimination of health disparities and promotion of optimal health.
