The majority of Reynolds’ estimated 3,000 local employees work in the 2 million-square-foot plant that includes production of Newport and the Vuse e-cig, the second leading brand.

Scott Ballin, past chairman of the Coalition on Smoking or Health, predicted in 2014 that Reynolds’ purchase of Lorillard — essentially to gain Newport — would spur some public-health advocates to “use this merger as a means of calling on the FDA to move quickly to ban menthol.”

BAT’s share price continued to decline on the New York Stock Exchange, falling to a 52-week low of $35.05 during trading Thursday before closing down 3.6 percent, or by $1.33, to $35.18.

It is down 50.9 percent from the 52-week high of $71.45 of Jan. 23. When BAT completed the Reynolds deal in July 2017, the share price was $71.25.

Reynolds and BAT said in a joint statement that “while we will continue to engage with the FDA on its proposed plans, it is important to note that when the FDA first examined menthol in 2013, the published science did not support regulating menthol and non-menthol cigarettes differently. The published science since then has not changed this situation.