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RICHMOND, Va. — Menthol-flavored cigarettes are going under the microscope of a new government panel, which will recommend how the Food and Drug Administration should regulate them.
Smokes with the minty flavoring are a key area for growth for tobacco companies, so the industry will keep a close eye on the committee’s work.
When it meets today and Wednesday, the committee will discuss the scientific research on the public-health effects of cigarettes, including among children and certain ethnic groups. Its report is due by next March.
The FDA won the authority in June to regulate tobacco.
Most industry observers think a menthol ban is unlikely.
