The Biden campaign could face a difficult road ahead as it continues to push a ban on all menthol cigarettes — which experts say will alienate the Black vote against him and increase crime across the country.
Retired New York State police officer Elliot Boyce told DailyMail.com that there are many “unintended consequences” of Biden’s decision to ban the cigarettes.
These include an increase in black market trafficking, cartel and gang violence and unregulated cigarettes – which can be laced with dangerous drugs including fentanyl.
“The cigarettes come from China and we have no idea what’s in them,” he continued.
And it will impact minority communities the most, because menthols are smoked primarily by Black and Latino communities — by more than 80 percent, he said.
A national Republican strategist told DailyMail.com that the issue is likely to hit Biden hard with black voters in 2024
“You’re going to have grandmothers going into the communities and buying them out of the trunk of someone’s car,” he continued. “And that becomes a problem.”
Furthermore, if cartels start setting up illegal menthol rings, they will “shoot at each other and the violence will increase.”
“Understand that drug dealers want the same thing you do. They want to move up and they might be next in your area,” he warned.
Boyce said the Biden administration has not engaged police groups to review its decision, which is incorrect because the ban will put “greater pressure” on law enforcement.
Police officers already work with limited budgets and frankly don’t want to deal with the criminalization of menthol, said Boyce, who has worked in law enforcement for 33 years.
Cato Institute fellow Jeffrey Singer agrees that the unintended consequences of the menthol ban could be harmful.
He wrote in a report published Oct. 17 that the ban “means more business opportunities for suppliers of black market products — ranging from illegal drugs to cigars and cigarettes.”
“And if history teaches us anything, we may be witnessing many harmful unintended consequences,” he continued.
As the ban on menthol cigarettes moves forward, the Biden administration is simultaneously exploring the decriminalization of marijuana nationally.
Over the summer, Biden asked the DEA to lower marijuana laws ahead of the 2024 election — despite the fact that cannabis wasn’t labeled a “gateway drug” until 2019.
As a Schedule I controlled substance, marijuana is in the same class as heroin, ecstasy and LSD. Drugs in this class are considered to have a high potential for abuse and to have no medical applications.
The Schedule III designation the Biden administration is pushing for would put it in the same category as anabolic steroids, testosterone and ketamine, which are considered to have “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” It wouldn’t be legal across the country unless it was fully released.
A national Republican strategist told DailyMail.com that the menthol ban specifically is likely to hit Biden hard among black voters in 2024.
“It’s surprising that Joe Biden would so openly target black smokers with a menthol ban,” he said.
“Polls already show that Black voters are not enthusiastic about supporting Biden in 2024, and this could further suppress his base. “I wouldn’t be surprised if President Trump or another Republican candidate used this as a wedge to pressure Joe Biden.”
Republicans in the Senate have already criticized Biden over the ban.
“Biden’s ridiculous ban on menthols will have far-reaching consequences, including providing another opportunity for cartels to profit from our porous border,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wrote on X.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., added, “As Biden’s FDA moves to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, this is a reminder that criminal gangs in Mexico are trying to exploit black market opportunities.”
Over the summer, Biden asked the DEA to lower marijuana laws ahead of the 2024 election
However, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer has not yet commented on the ban – and his state of New York would be hit hard economically because it has the highest taxes on cigarettes in the country.
The Biden administration has maintained that criminalizing menthols would help Americans become less addicted over time.
“The proposed rules would help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit,” said HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra said it before.
“Additionally, the proposed rules represent an important step to advance health equity by significantly reducing tobacco-related health disparities,” he continued.
However, Boyce and other law enforcement officials say menthol addiction is better addressed through education, treatment and counseling.
“This is really a problem for everyone,” he continued.