Ban on menthol cigarettes, long marketed to Black Americans, gains momentum
March 26, 2021
Banning menthol cigarettes appears to be gaining political momentum at the federal, state and local levels (Source: “Menthol Cigarettes Kill Many Black People. A Ban May Finally Be Near.,” New York Times, March 22).
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% of Black smokers use Newport, Kool and other menthol brands that are aggressively marketed to Black Americans and are easier to become addicted to and harder to quit than plain tobacco, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
There is also 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. Public opposition among white parents to all flavored e-cigarettes, including menthol, has brought new resources to the issue. And the FDA is under a court order to respond to a citizens’ petition to ban menthol by April 29.