Black Group Turns Away From Bill on Smoking
A bill to regulate tobacco products has lost the support of a black antismoking group, which said Thursday that the legislation failed to adequately protect the health of African-Americans because it would not ban menthol flavorings from cigarettes. The legislation, which has been cleared by crucial committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, would ban candy, fruit and spice flavorings in cigarettes, but specifically exempts menthol flavorings.