A week or so ago, we reported that the Biden administration and the FDA were delaying -- again -- a ban on menthol cigarettes.
The ban was proposed years ago (and is actually in effect in DC) because, according to the FDA, menthol (and other flavored tobacco products) have a 'particularly insidious effect on the Black community.'
The last time we wrote about this, the delay on the implementation of the ban was due to the president's falling poll numbers with the Black community.
So the Biden administration put his reelection campaign over the health and safety of the communities he promised to protect.
On the 22nd, The Hill posted an op-ed about this:
"Delaying the menthol ban is another blow to racial health equity" (@TheHillOpinion) https://t.co/OjZItfLl8e pic.twitter.com/tgfzUNo5Ed
— The Hill (@thehill) December 22, 2023
Our nation’s health regulators were ready to take the important step of banning menthol, the only tobacco flavor that is still allowed on the market — that is until the Biden administration stepped in to delay the ban.
This delay is not without consequence, as I told the White House in a recent meeting. A delay means more deaths — more deaths of Black people and especially Black children. We have seen a delay on voting rights, a delay on living wages and now a delay of a moral rule to regulate menthol.
The post got the Frog of Shame treatment:
— Enguerrand VII de Coucy (@ingelramdecoucy) December 22, 2023
And the Frog won.
And “racial health equity” is a blow to common sense and reason.
— Dr. SteelHamma2099 - Tha Rebirf (@SteelHammer2099) December 22, 2023
Yes, it is.
Except that's not the point here.
The point is the Biden administration has threatened this ban for years now, in the name of 'racial health equity.'
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This is their decision, and they are the proponents of 'racial health equity.'
But all that is forgotten because Biden's poll numbers have slipped. So it's not unreasonable to conclude the Left doesn't really care about 'racial health equity' when it's put up against their reelection bid.
The premise of the op-ed, and the ban itself, is ridiculous: adults have the right to choose what they consume, and as flavored tobacco is a legal product, they should make that choice. Not the government.
As an aside, notice how the government -- who makes a lot of tax revenue of the sale of tobacco -- won't just ban it outright? Why won't they? Because it's electoral seppuku, and the loss of a lot of money.
So these partial bans in the name of 'equity' are even more cynical.
✍️uh✍️oh✍️ pic.twitter.com/rjrbhhQZbY
— The List (@ListComesForAll) December 22, 2023
The List comes for all. It truly does.
The Hill is getting so bad just like the others
— Sam (@MagesticLlama10) December 22, 2023
'Getting' is very generous. The media has been bad for a long time.
"We have to ban menthol cigarettes to wean the blacks off of cigarettes for their own good"
— AubreyFaza (@AubreyFaza) December 22, 2023
F-cking lmao.
It really is condescending, isn't it?
Stop treating black people like retarded children challenge.
— beans (@melliebeanie) December 22, 2023
Harsh, but a fair assessment of the Left. Who also think minorities can't figure out how to get IDs or driver's licenses, etc. etc.
But we digress.
What ever happen to freedom of choice? If you want to smoke them smoke if you don’t then don’t.
— Red (@RBeard1911) December 22, 2023
'My body, my choice' has a very limited range that does not include vaccines or smoking, apparently.
You seriously don’t get how paternalistic and condescending this sounds?
— AleaiactaEst2023 (@Aleaiactaest23) December 22, 2023
No, they do not.
So, you published a racial steteotype. pic.twitter.com/kXtfTAQzuW
— The Libertarian Trap (@LibertarianTrap) December 22, 2023
We love that gif.
Finally someone is saying it. https://t.co/P6GKfCEVCS
— 🫃🏼💉🇺🇦Hollaria Briden, Esq. (@HollyBriden) December 22, 2023
Even though they're wrong, the fact The Hill is calling out the hypocrisy of the Biden administration.
The Hill not posting racist garbage challenge. Impossible. https://t.co/MaoKSy6QuE
— Gen-X Wolf™ (@GenXWolf) December 23, 2023
The thing is, they don't believe this is racist. At all.
Wat? https://t.co/uG43QnILwT pic.twitter.com/ZNhp490RtL
— Jay Collinwood (@collinwood_j) December 22, 2023
Wat is correct.
There has been no 'delay' in voting rights or 'living wages.'
Making menthol cigarettes illegal doesn't help racial health outcomes, it just turns innocent people into criminals. It's hard to quit smoking and this won't make it easier it will just force them to smoke non-menthol or rely on a black market. https://t.co/ZLcmVmyBvO
— Rachael (@Rachael_wv) December 22, 2023
This is a very reasonable, and justified, concern.
Back in 2021, the ACLU warned the Biden administration about 'serious racial justice implications' connected to a menthol cigarette ban.
In their letter, they mentioned Eric Garner, the man who was killed in NY following his arrest for selling loose cigarettes to circumvent NY laws and taxes.
If we can’t find a climate change angle, we can always go back to old faithful. https://t.co/aXHwdP94Ta
— Collin Edwards (@collinE83) December 22, 2023
Exactly this.
Idiots. People will just put menthol on their cigs or a black market will develop. We have ACTUAL real problems in this country. https://t.co/Gbxo3P2EiS
— Vacuum Solo (@jackbripplebrap) December 22, 2023
But they have zero interest in fixing the real problems, so they focus on stuff like this.
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