• The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, January 5, 2011 10:15 AM

Lorillard, which is the leading manufacturer of menthol cigarettes in the U.S., is fighting the Food and Drug Administration to stop it from banning menthol, which accounts for about 90% of Lorillard cigarette sales, including sales of its leading Newport brand.

The company, which is the nation's third-largest cigarette manufacturer, has reportedly been buying up Internet domain names like MentholKillsMinorities.com, MentholAddictsYouth.com and FDAMustBanMenthol.com. Next week, an FDA tobacco advisory committee will meet to review data on menthol products and then in March the panel will recommend whether to ban menthol cigarettes. The reason: such cigarettes are popular among African Americans and adolescents, who are the targets of menthol-cigarette marketing efforts.

Eighty percent of African American smokers prefer menthol cigarettes, and 45% of smokers between 12 and 17 years of age use menthol brands, according to U.S. government data. The cigarettes appeal to young people because the menthol, which acts like a mild anesthetic on mucous membranes, ameliorates tobacco's harsh taste.

The Greensboro, N.C., company is also paying to disseminate contrary views on PR Newswire, and is using social media as well to get its message across.

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal »