Imperial Brands CEO: U.S. menthol cigarette ban likely years away
Adds background in paragraphs 2, 3, 6 & 7; CEO quotes in paragraphs 4-5 & 8; result detail in 9
LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) -The outcome of moves to ban menthol cigarettes in the United States remains uncertain but implementation will likely take years, Imperial Brands Chief Executive Stefan Bomhard said on Wednesday.
The Biden administration delayed a plan to ban menthol cigarettes in April, in a possible bid to avert a political backlash from Black voters during an election year.
While the administration characterised the decision as a postponement, the latest in a series of delays has left some campaigners concerned about the ban's future.
Bomhard said at a presentation of Imperial's IMB.L half-year results that a ban was unlikely to be imminent.
"We continue to believe that the ban's implementation, if it happens, is for sure several years away," he said.
For decades, menthol cigarettes have been in the crosshairs of anti-smoking groups who argue that they contribute to disproportionate health burdens on Black communities and play a role in luring young people into smoking.
About 81% of Black adults who smoked cigarettes used menthol varieties, compared with 34% of white adults, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tobacco companies say there isn't scientific evidence to support the ban. Menthol cigarettes account for a third of the industry's overall market share in the United States.
Bomhard said menthol accounts for around half of Imperial's business in the United States.
The company's shares rose 1.8% in early trading on Wednesday, after it reported higher first-half profits, thanks in part to price increases onits cigarettes.
Reporting by Emma Rumney; editing by Jason Neely and Bernadette Baum
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