The White House declined to comment.

Menthol cigarettes account for a third of the industry’s overall market share in the United States. The highly addictive products have been cited for their appeal to young smokers, as well as significant health impacts for Black communities, where they are marketed heavily.

After the FDA in 2022 issued a long-awaited proposal to ban menthol cigarettes, several health and anti-smoking groups urged the Biden administration to enforce it.

The Administration delayed issuing a final rule in December and now has missed the new deadline it set to issue the rule by March 2024, according to a statement on Monday from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the NAACP, both of which support the FDA's push for a ban of menthol cigarettes.

Civil rights groups have contended for years that menthol cigarettes pose a disproportionately higher risk in Black communities, where they are heavily marketed.