John, The fight to stop Big Tobacco from targeting Black communities and kids with menthol cigarettes is gaining momentum. Because of a lawsuit filed by public health groups, the FDA faces an April 29th deadline to decide whether to remove menthols from the market. With our partners, we're fighting hard to make sure they do and that cities and states take action in the meantime. This morning, The New York Times ran a major story on this campaign – along with a blistering exposé of Big Tobacco's continuing efforts to push menthol on Black youth. Check it out, and please share it widely: |
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 Menthol Cigarettes Kill Many Black People. A Ban May Finally Be Near. by Sheila Kaplan | March 22, 2021  "The banning of menthol cigarettes, the mint-flavored products that have been aggressively marketed to Black Americans, has long been an elusive goal for public health regulators. "But Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have put new pressure on Congress and the White House to reduce racial health disparities. And there are few starker examples than this: Black smokers smoke less but die of heart attacks, strokes and other causes linked to tobacco use at higher rates than white smokers do, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And 85 percent of Black smokers use Newport, Kool and other menthol brands that are easier to become addicted to and harder to quit than plain tobacco... "There is now growing momentum in Congress to enact a ban. In states and municipalities across the country, Black public health activists have been organizing support and getting new laws passed at the state and local level. ” Read the whole article >> |
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This story also comes on the heels of our new report – Stopping Menthol, Saving Lives – which details Big Tobacco’s deadly, decades-long targeting of Black communities and kids. It contains loads of advertising examples and easy-to-read data visualizations: |
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Eliminating menthol cigarettes would be a huge victory for public health AND social justice. With the support of advocates like you, we're making great progress. Thanks for all you do. Let's keep pushing! Sincerely, |
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