A coalition led by the American Civil Liberties Union is urging the Biden administration not to ban menthol cigarettes. Such a ban would “have serious racial justice implications” and would “trigger criminal penalties, which will disproportionately impact people of color, as well as prioritize criminalization over public health and harm reduction,” the coalition wrote in a letter this week to Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Janet Woodcock. “A ban will also lead to unconstitutional policing and other negative interactions with local law enforcement,” they added. The White House, the Department of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not respond to requests for comment. The federal government is set to answer a citizen’s petition on April 29. Groups including the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council and the American Academy of Pediatrics in the petition asked the FDA to “remove menthol cigarettes from the market.” …