Tobacco companies helped flood the federal comment process that stalled menthol cigarette ban

Phys · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 20, 2026 · 803 words · By Rutgers University

Public Health vs. Industry Interests Racial Disparities in Tobacco Use Corporate Influence on Public Policy

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What to know about Public Health vs. Industry Interests

The article reports on a Rutgers Health study indicating that a vast majority of public comments submitted to the FDA regarding a proposed menthol cigarette ban were form letters, many of which were linked to tobacco company campaigns. It further discusses how industry influence and specific arguments regarding policing may have contributed to the Biden administration's decision to delay and eventually withdraw the rules.

Propaganda risk 30%

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage

Left33%

Center67%

Right0%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Tobacco companies helped flood the federal comment process that stalled menthol cigarette ban Swati Mestri Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor When the U.S.

Why it matters

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in 2022, nearly 250,000 public comments flooded in—a record response that led the Biden administration to delay a final decision.

Common ground

But a Rutgers Health analysis shows that a minority came from concerned individuals inspired to speak out about the proposed ban in their own words.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Pity: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Public Health vs. Industry Interests story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Menthol cigarettes account for more than a third of the U.S. cigarette market and a majority of the cigarettes smoked by Black Americans?
How does this story connect Public Health vs. Industry Interests with Racial Disparities in Tobacco Use over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tobacco-companies-federal-comment-stalled.html

analyticsAnalysis

30%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Pity 70% confidence

Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

help Insufficient Evidence 2

schedule Pending 2

info Single Source 2

help

Claim 1: “Menthol cigarettes account for more than a third of the U.S. cigarette market and a majority of the cigarettes smoked by Black Americans”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found in the search results to verify the market share of menthol cigarettes or their usage among Black Americans.

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Claim 2: “Even among unique comments, 96% opposed the menthol ban, and 99% opposed the cigar ban.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly state that among unique comments, 96% opposed the menthol ban and 99% opposed the cigar ban.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Among Us is a 2018 online multiplayer social deduction game developed and published by the American game studio Innersloth. The game allows for cross-platform play; it was released on iOS and Android …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Among_Us

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Among the Living is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It was released on March 22, 1987, by Megaforce Records in the US and by Island Records in the rest of the world. The a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Among_the_Living

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Most of the comments (97%) on menthol cigarettes were form letters opposing the ban. The researchers found that 46% of the comments included content from tobacco companies, including RAI Services’ Own…
https://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/news/tobacco-company-na…

+ 2 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 3: “One in five deaths in the U.S. is still attributable to tobacco smoking”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 4: “The policing argument invoked the 2014 death of Eric Garner, which came at the hands of New York police who were trying to arrest him for selling untaxed cigarettes.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists only of generic Facebook login pages and does not mention Eric Garner or the circumstances of his death.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Connect and share with friends, family, and the world on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Get started on Facebook with a Meta Account A Meta Account lets you access multiple Meta technologies, like Facebook, easily and securely.
https://www.facebook.com/r.php/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
https://secure.facebook.com/login/

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Claim 5: “The study in JAMA Network Open examined all 246,808 comments submitted to FDA dockets and found that 97% of comments on the menthol rule and 93% on the cigar rule were form letters.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources explicitly cite a JAMA Network Open study that examined 246,808 comments and found 97% of menthol and 93% of cigar comments were form letters.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — JAMA Network Open is a monthly open access medical journal published by the American Medical Association covering all aspects of the biomedical sciences. It was established in 2018 and the founding e…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAMA_Network_Open

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — There are thirteen medical journals published by the JAMA Network, a division of the American Medical Association (AMA). The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), along with JAMA Network…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_Medical_Assoc…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zyn (stylized as "ZYN") is a Swedish brand of nicotine pouches. Zyn pouches are designed to be placed between the gums and lip, allowing nicotine to be absorbed into the bloodstream through oral soft …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zyn

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Few unique comments (3–5%) addressed the health evidence behind the rules.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that only 3% to 5% of unique comments addressed the health evidence/harms behind the rules.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Limited Health Focus: Only 3% to 5% of unique comments addressed the scientific health evidence behind the proposed ban, with most opposition focusing on economic concerns and illicit market fears.
https://respiratory-therapy.com/public-health/smoking/tobacc…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Most national news stories (75%) highlighted the potential health benefits of FDA’s proposed rules. In contrast, only 3% to 5% of unique comments in the dockets addressed tobacco and health harms,” wr…
https://halfwheel.com/study-tobacco-companies-flooded-fdas-f…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Only 5% of unique menthol comments and 3% of unique cigar comments discussed targeted marketing in Black communities. Still fewer mentioned evidence on how menthol and flavors can facilitate tobacco u…
https://scholarpeer.com/tobacco-companies-helped-turn-fdas-m…

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Claim 7: “Roughly 46% of the menthol form letters contained content traceable to tobacco companies, including Reynolds American Inc.'s "Own It, Voice It" campaign and Altria Group Inc.'s "Voices for Consumer Choice" campaign.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that 46% of menthol templates were traceable to tobacco companies, specifically mentioning Reynolds American's 'Own It, Voice It' and Altria's campaigns.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Daniel Coulter Reynolds (born July 14, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist and a founding member of the pop rock band Imagine Dragons, which…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Reynolds

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Green Lantern is a 2011 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Hal Jordan / Green Lantern. It was directed by Martin Campbell, from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, Marc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Lantern_(film)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Voice is an Australian singing competition television series. It premiered on the Nine Network on 14 April 2012, before moving to the Seven Network in 2021. Based on the original Dutch singing com…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voice_(Australian_TV_serie…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in 2022, nearly 250,000 public comments flooded in”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm the FDA proposed a ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in 2022 and received approximately 246,808 comments (nearly 250,000).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 2022, the United States experienced a severe shortage of infant formula as a result of the 2021–2022 global supply chain crisis compounded by a large scale product recall after two babies died afte…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_United_States_infant_form…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_and_Drug_Administration

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tirzepatide is a gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) analog and a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It is used as an antidiabetic medication to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) and for weight loss. Tirzepatide is a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirzepatide

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “An earlier study... analyzed 122 news articles about the menthol rule and found that... 75% of articles cited the ban's potential to reduce disease and save lives”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm a study led by Olivia Wackowski analyzed 122 news articles and found that 75% cited the ban's potential to reduce disease and save lives.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — 122 may refer to: 122 (number), the natural number following 121 and preceding 123 AD 122, a year in the 2nd century AD 122 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC 122 (film), a 2019 Egyptian psychological …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/122

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Stridsvagn 122 (strv 122, IPA: [ˈstrɪ̂tːsvaŋn] ) is a Swedish main battle tank that, like the German Leopard 2A5, is based on the German Leopard 2 Improved variant using such newer technology as comma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stridsvagn_122

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Duncan (also known as UFC Fight Night 290 and UFC Vegas 122) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that is scheduled to take…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_Fight_Night:_Allen_vs._Dun…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 10: “Two percent of all comments were unique.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the total number of comments and the high percentage of form letters are corroborated, the specific 'two percent' figure for unique comments is not explicitly stated across multiple independent sources in the provided evidence, though it is mathematically consistent with the 97-98% form letter rate.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In 2022, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it was advancing proposals to ban the sales of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in the U.S.Of the two proposals, more than 70 pe…
https://halfwheel.com/study-tobacco-companies-flooded-fdas-f…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Sample: 246,808 comments submitted to FDA dockets on proposed menthol-cigarette and flavored-cigar rules. Models: Text similarity analysis, form-letter identification, and automated deductive content …
https://scholarpeer.com/tobacco-companies-helped-turn-fdas-m…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ninety-seven percent of the 246,000+ public comments sent to the FDA before it withdrew a proposed menthol cigarette ban were non-unique form letters, and half traced back to Big Tobacco. RT’s Three K…
https://respiratory-therapy.com/public-health/smoking/tobacc…

schedule

Claim 11: “The FDA sent final rules to the White House for review in 2023, but the Biden administration postponed action in April 2024, and the rules were withdrawn in January 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 12: “researchers have estimated they caused 378,000 premature deaths in the United States between 1980 and 2018.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found in the search results to verify the estimate of 378,000 premature deaths.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.