Menthol should be banned along with other cigarette flavorings as part of legislation to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products, the Congressional Black Caucus says.

The New York Times reported July 1 that the 43-member group wants to amend the House of Representatives' version of the FDA tobacco bill, which currently prohibits other flavorings in cigarettes but allows companies to continue to sell menthol-flavored cigarettes. Menthol cigarettes are particularly popular with black smokers; menthol brands have been heavily marketed to blacks for decades.

"We are very aware and gravely concerned about the disproportionate incidence of lung cancer in the African-American community and, along with so many minority health experts, have long been concerned about the role menthol may play," said Donna M. Christensen, head of the caucus' health task force and the Congressional delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The menthol exemption is widely viewed as a concession to the tobacco industry. Lorillard, which makes Newport cigarettes, recently sent a mass mailing to customers urging them to contact their representatives in Congress to express their opposition to banning menthol cigarettes.

"Urgent! Urgent!," the mailing said. "Congress wants to make it illegal to smoke Newports and other menthol cigarettes. Call your member of Congress now and tell them to oppose any amendment to ban menthol cigarettes."

Some members of Congress say that the menthol exemption is necessary to get the legislation passed, and even some public-health groups have expressed willingness to support the legislation with the menthol exemption included.