The Food and Drug Administration has been in contentious conflict with e-cigarette makers, attempting numerous times to regulate the product, sometimes effectively and other times not. E-cigarette companies successfully contended in a lawsuit against the FDA that they are tobacco products, and the FDA therefore has no jurisdiction over their regulation because it infringes Congress’s intent to withhold FDA’s authority over tobacco products

But the catch is Johnson died at the age of 36. So for much of his life he must have known full well the dangers of smoking. From 1966, packets in the US warned smoking may be hazardous to health. From 1970 it became a more definitive "The Surgeon General Has Determined that Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health". That Johnson could not quit his addiction is a different matter. But the verdict is clearly less about Johnson’s tragedy as it is about teaching cigarette companies a lesson for peddling a vice. 

"I'm alarmed by this explosion because hookah smoking is perceived by many as not as risky as cigarettes, while in fact the data show on the contrary, it's even riskier. The risk of developing systemic diseases from hookah are even more extensive than cigarette smoking." That comparison to cigarettes may be surprising to many young people who believe that inhaling smoke that's cooled by a waterpipe isn't as harmful as smoking cigarette tobacco. Wrong.

The U.S. Justice Department and the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund have reached an agreement with the four major tobacco companies requiring them to spend millions across major media as part of a settlement for their misrepresentation of the hazards of smoking—but the companies will not have to make a single purchase from a Black print or broadcast media company.

"This is the most important health issue of our time," Carol McGruder, co-chair of the council, said during a news conference on Thursday. "Menthol covers up the harsh taste of tobacco, giving the cigarette a pleasant taste." Because of its taste, menthol is known as a starter ingredient that enhances the popularity of cigarettes, especially among young and beginner smokers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 19.4 percent of the black population smoke, and 82.6 percent of them smoke menthol cigarettes.