Menthol-flavored cigarettes could soon be a thing of the past - if the Food and Drug Administration has its way.

The flavor is one of the reasons why the federal agency is proposing a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes. Menthol is currently the last allowable flavor for cigarettes.

According to the FDA, those cigarettes have been disproportionately used by young people, people of color and those living in low-income communities.

For those reasons, the NAACP has long pushed for a ban on menthol cigarettes - and the statistics are eye-opening.

Experts say the majority of Black smokers prefer menthol cigarette brands and that Black men have the highest rates of lung cancer in the U.S.

They say there needs to be more aside from a ban on menthol cigarettes.

If implemented, the proposal would be a major win for anti-tobacco advocates, who describe menthol-flavored cigarettes as a way for consumers to get hooked on smoking.

Banning the flavored cigarettes doesn't require congressional approval, but implementation could take years. Any final regulations can expect major legal challenges from tobacco companies.