With efforts stalled so far to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes at the state level in Hawaii, Attorney General Anne Lopez and a multistate coalition of AGs are pressing the Biden administration to move forward with a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

Lopez has joined 20 colleagues to urge finalized review of proposed federal rules to prohibit sales of the products — a move the AG says is long overdue. In Hawaii, menthol cigarettes are more widely used by youth, women, Filipinos, Native Hawaiians and Japanese, the AG’s office said — and banning menthol cigarettes will save lives.