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Keith Wailoo:
Well, this moment has been a long time in the making. And the story really starts in 2009, when the Food and Drug Administration was given authority for the first time in the nation’s history for regulating tobacco products.
Imagine that. Only 15 years ago, the FDA was granted jurisdiction over these kinds of products. In that legislation signed by President Obama, flavored cigarettes were banned as illegitimate enticements, particularly because they were seen as important to youth initiation.
But menthols were exempted. And the question was kicked over to the Food and Drug Administration. And, in some ways, what we’re dealing with is the aftermath of that decision. The FDA has tried twice before to move. So, in some ways, we’re really at the cusp of a story that has been playing out very, very slowly.
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