NC union says menthol ban means worker hardship

A union representing workers at the company that makes the top-selling brand of menthol cigarettes says a ban on the additive would cause economic hardship.

Many tobacco brands are on top because they have good quality even if some of them do not have menthol addition. For example Camel cigarettes or Vogue cigarettes are very demanded among smokers.

The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union also says it's being shut out of a Wednesday meeting in Raleigh.

The federal Center for Tobacco Products is meeting with representatives of the tobacco industry. The Food and Drug Administration is studying the use of menthol in cigarettes, and may recommend tighter regulations or an outright ban.

The union represents about 1,000 workers at Greensboro-based Lorillard Inc., makers of Newport cigarettes.

Dozens of union workers plan to rally in front of the Raleigh hotel where the meeting is being held.