Good morning and welcome to the Weekly New York Health Care newsletter, where we keep you posted on what's coming up this week in health care news, and offer a look back at the important news from last week.

Rev. Al Sharpton has been uncharacteristically quiet about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes, which are primarily smoked by Black New Yorkers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The “Loudmouth’s” silence on the proposal continues despite his vocal opposition to earlier bans put forth by President Joe Biden’s Food and Drug Administration and the New York City Council under former Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner who cops put in a fatal chokehold during an arrest for allegedly selling illegal single cigarettes in 2014, has come out against Hochul’s ban. Carr told the New York Post it would “create new problems and criminal activity that will bring enforcement entities into communities of color.”

Some Black clergy leaders oppose the ban for similar reasons, but NAACP NY’s Hazel Dukes supports the prohibition, noting flavored tobacco makes it easier to get addicted to cigarettes.

A spokesperson for Sharpton did not return multiple messages seeking comment.

“Depends really on Sharpton, how much he puts into it,” said one person — who was involved in negotiations over the Council's bill to ban menthols — about the fate of Hochul’s push.

A spokesperson for Hochul said the ban wouldn’t make it illegal to “possess, purchase, or use flavored tobacco products,” but would “target the retailers who sell them” with civil penalties.

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, who sponsored the proposed bill in 2019 when he was in the Council, said the political climate is better for Hochul’s version.

“There’s a lot more understanding of the harmful role that flavors play in hooking kids,” Levine said, nodding to the city’s ban on flavored vaping products.

IN OTHER NEWS:

— After sending warning letters, the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products issued its first civil monetary penalties for selling unauthorized products to four e-cigarette manufacturers.

ON THE AGENDA THIS WEEK:

— Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. The Assembly and Senate hold a joint budget hearing on health and Medicaid.

— Thursday at 2 p.m. The Department of City Planning hosts a scoping hearing on Lenox Hill Hospital’s proposed renovation and expansion.

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HEALTH RATE HIKES: The New York City Fire Department wants to increase its ambulance service prices, citing inflation and the cost of recent salary increases for EMS workers. The cost of a regular ambulance ride called through the 911 system would spike from $900 to $1,385 — a 54 percent increase.

NOW WE KNOW — A new study indicates that afternoon exercises are the best option if you want to live a longer life.

TODAY’S TIP — Get your beauty rest! Otherwise, you could develop high blood pressure.

STUDY THIS — A survey of nearly 1,000 participants shows that experiences with psychedelic drugs may lead to improvements in anxiety and depression.

— UAlbany researchers found that lower-income New Yorkers and people of color have to wait longer for basic services.

— The animal tranquilizerXylazine is latest threat in the opioid epidemic, USA Today reports.

— A new virus is causing vomiting and diarrhea among city residents. Health experts say it could be the norovirus, WNYC reports.

— Big Soda’s Alcohol Drinks Worry Health Experts, from The New York Times.

— Via POLITICO’s Maya Kaufman: Adams’ mental health agenda to focus on harm reduction and nontraditional approaches.

— A CDC pilot study found that planes from Europe were full of Covid last summer, Krista Mahr reports.

— Medicare will not reconsidercoverage of certain Alzheimer's drugs, Katherine Ellen Foley reports.

MISSED A ROUNDUP? Get caught up on the New York Health Care Newsletter.