Advocates call for CT menthol ban with national ban likely years away

The Federal Drug Administration rules, which were sent recently to the White House budget office, would prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and ban all characterizing flavors, other than tobacco, in cigars.

"These actions have the potential to significantly reduce disease and death from combusted tobacco product use, the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., by reducing youth experimentation and addiction, and increasing the number of smokers that quit," the agency said in a news release.

However, tobacco . . .