Newport and Camel cigarettes are stacked on a shelf inside a tobacco store in New York July 11, 2014. (Photo: REUTERS)

The Biden administration's historic proposal, which comes a year after the agency announced the plan, still needs to be finalized and can take years to implement.

For decades, menthol cigarettes have been in the crosshairs of anti-smoking groups who have argued that they contribute to disproportionate health burdens on Black communities and play a role in luring young people into smoking.

The US agency said modeling studies have estimated a 15% reduction in smoking within 40 years if menthol cigarettes were banned.

The public can submit their comments through July 5 from next week, and the agency will decide whether to issue a final ruling after reviewing them.