Anti-smoking groups are suing the U.S. government over a long awaited ban on menthol cigarettes, which has been stalled at the White House for months. The lawsuit aims to force federal officials to publish a rule banning menthol cigarettes, which are mostly used by Black smokers and young people. Johanna Brotz is the Fond du Lac County Tobacco Prevention and Control coordinator. Brotz says banning the minty flavor could prevent hundreds of thousands of smoking-related deaths. Health officials under president Joe Biden initially targeted last August to publish the rule. Then the date slipped until late 2023 and then March this year.
