REPORT ON HARM FROM MENTHOL CIGARETTES DUE THIS YEAR, FDA SAYS

Source: Bloomberg News

Date: 2011-06-27

Author: Jeffrey Young, jyoung89@bloomberg.net

URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-27/report-on-harm-from-menthol-cigarettes-

due-this-year-fda-says.html

ID: 322394
The Food and Drug Administration said it will issue preliminary

findings on the health effects of menthol cigarettes this year

after outside advisers review an internal report starting next

month.

The U.S. market for menthol tobacco products is $25 billion a

year, or about 30 percent of cigarette sales, according to data

compiled by Bloomberg Government. Lorillard Inc. (LO) of

Greensboro, North Carolina, makes the best-selling brand,

Newport, with sales of $5 billion a year. Marlboro Menthol, made

by Richmond, Virginia-based Altria Group Inc. (MO) and the Kool

and Salem brands sold by Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) of Winston

Salem, North Carolina, are other leading brands.

The FDA is weighing whether to outlaw sales of flavored cigarettes