Menthol cigarettes are shown to increase the amount and frequency of smoking, and make it harder for smokers to quit, the groups said in a letter to the FDA in November.
The groups have also urged the FDA to prohibit menthol flavoring because it increases the number of children who experiment with cigarettes and become regular smokers. Menthol-flavored cigarettes also disproportionately harm the health of African Americans, and worsen existing health disparities.