Thread by @ScottGottliebMD

On flavors, it turns out that the patterns of use of mint and menthol flavors are very different. Mint is widely used by kids and is much more of a candy flavor. Mint only contains relatively trace amounts of menthol. 1/2
wsj.com/articles/juul-…

Characterizing flavors have no place in cigarettes. If we ban menthol in e-cigs we should also ban it in cigarettes. Health officials affirmed menthol’s role in hooking kids to e-cigs. On mint, Juul is only mint widely sold. Data now shows it’s a candy like flavor favored by kids

A ban on menthol was a key part of FDA’s effort to reduce the attractiveness and appeal of cigarettes to kids. Menthol reduces tobacco’s harsh taste. It can helps kids initiate on cigarettes by masking the harshness of smoking combustible tobacco.
wsj.com/amp/articles/f…

Menthol was left in e-cigs while a ban was sought on other e-cig flavors in Spring 2019 only to allow time to implement a fuller ban on menthol in cigarettes. We didn’t want to tip market in favor of combustibles by leaving menthol only in the cigarettes
nytimes.com/2018/11/08/hea…

A key part of implementing restrictions on sale of e-cig flavors was to also pursue long sought bans on characterizing flavors in combustible tobacco. We must ensure cigarettes aren’t left with features that make them more appealing to adults and kids.
vox.com/platform/amp/2…

For all these reasons, since 2018 when FDA first proposed restricting sales of flavored e-cigs to reduce attractiveness and appeal to kids; key to that plan was also eliminating flavors in combustible tobacco so as not to tip appeal in favor of cigarettes
amp.usatoday.com/amp/2003219002