The FDA has received nearly 175,000 recommendations for its proposed standard for menthol tobacco products in cigarettes and approximately 71,000 recommendations for its proposed standard for tobacco products used to characterize cigar flavors.

On May 4, 2022, the FDA published the proposed standards for tobacco products in the Federal Register. Initially, the FDA provided a 60-day consultation period for the rule, but the FDA later extended the comment period to a total of 90 days. On August 2, the consultation period ends.

In addition to accepting written public comments, the agency held public hearings on June 13 and June 15.

The agency stressed that reviewing submitted reviews, scientific data, expert opinions and facts will take some time.

"The FDA is committed to completing the rulemaking process as quickly as possible; however, the agency will need sufficient time to fully review and analyze all comments," FDA public health analyst Beaza Yeheyes wrote in an email.