Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42118440›Full record

ArticleJournal of racial and ethnic health disparities2026

The U.S. Federal Menthol Ban: a Critical Step Toward Health Equity for African Americans.

Kyrah Frank, Chanita Hughes Halbert, Trista A Beard

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Kyrah FrankDepartment of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, USA.
Chanita Hughes HalbertDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, 1845 N Soto Street, 3rd Floor, SSB 302J, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA.
Trista A BeardDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, 1845 N Soto Street, 3rd Floor, SSB 302J, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA. tbeard@usc.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-5543-4795

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite longstanding evidence of the disproportionate burden menthol cigarettes pose to Black Americans, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) proposed federal ban has faced consistent delays. Menthol is associated with an increased risk of addiction, fewer quit attempts, and disproportionate rates of smoking-related illness and death among Black Americans. While states like Massachusetts and California have taken steps to implement bans, the U.S. federal government has yet to act. These delays are a public health failure that perpetuates racial health disparities. This paper explores the historical targeting of Black communities by the tobacco industry and highlights the complex responses to the potential ban from those in Black communities. Despite mixed public opinion, the evidence is clear that a federal menthol ban, combined with equitable culturally tailored cessation resources, can save lives and address disproportionate tobacco-related health disparities.

Indexed as

Black or African AmericanHealth EquityHealth Status DisparitiesMentholTobacco IndustryTobacco ProductsFederal GovernmentHumansUnited StatesMentholBlack healthHealth disparitiesMentholTobacco policyTobacco-related disease

Identifiers

PMID42118440
PMCPMC13546318

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.