Cigarette maker Lorillard to launch non-menthol version of Newport brand amid federal review

Lorillard to launch non-menthol Newport cig

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Cigarette maker Lorillard is planning to launch a non-menthol version of its popular Newport brand as a federal panel reviews the public health effects of menthol cigarettes.

The Greensboro, N.C., company says it will introduce Newport Non-Menthol in November.

Lorillard says the move will help to strengthen its position in non-menthol smokes. The company’s Newport brand holds about 35 percent share of the U.S menthol market, despite declining cigarette demand.

The move comes as the Food and Drug Administration’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee looks at the health impacts of the minty smokes, including among children and certain ethnic groups. The committee must make recommendations to the FDA in March.