John,

Our just-released report Stopping Menthol, Saving Lives details the tobacco industry’s decades-long targeting of Black communities, especially kids, with marketing for menthol cigarettes – and the devastating impact on the health and lives of Black Americans.

Key findings include:

• For more than 60 years, the tobacco industry has deliberately targeted the Black community with marketing for menthol cigarettes.

• Menthol cigarettes are a major reason why tobacco use is the No. 1 cause of preventable death among Black Americans – claiming 45,000 Black lives each year – and why Black Americans die at disproportionately high rates from tobacco-related diseases like cancer, heart disease and stroke.

• Menthol cigarettes are more addictive, easier for kids to start using and harder for smokers to quit.

• The tobacco industry is now using the same strategies to target Black youth with marketing for cheap, flavored cigars that can be smoked like cigarettes.

• Strong action is needed to protect Black health and save lives, starting with the elimination of menthol cigarettes and all flavored tobacco products. We’re calling on the FDA to act now to prohibit menthol cigarettes. Until the FDA acts, states and cities should continue their growing efforts to do so.

There's a lot more in our report – including advertising examples and easy-to-read data visualizations.

Read the full report at tfk.org/MentholReport.

Best,

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