On the Call: Lorillard CEO Murray Kessler

The Food and Drug Administration, which is currently reviewing the public health impact of menthol cigarettes, is conducting an independent review of research gathered by its advisory committee.

In June, the federal agency said members of its Center for Tobacco Products planned to submit its review to an external peer review panel in July and expected the process to be completed in the fall of 2011.
The review comes after the FDA in March received a report from the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee that removing menthol cigarettes from the market would benefit public health because the minty flavoring tobacco has led more people to pick up smoking and makes quitting harder. However, the report said menthol smokers are not likely to be at a higher risk of disease or exposed to a greater number of toxins.

The panel also said the FDA should consider other factors, including whether a ban could increase the market for counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes.

Many analysts believe the agency won't ban menthol, which about 19 million Americans smoke. Menthol cigarettes are one of few growth areas in the shrinking cigarette market.A menthol ban or other restrictions on the flavored cigarettes would fall heavily on Greensboro, N.C.-based Lorillard Inc., whose Newport brand is the top-selling menthol cigarette in the U.S.