CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Fighting for our lives: African Americans, menthol cigarettes, the tobacco industry, and US tobacco control policy
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1
The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, The URSA Institute, San Francisco, United States
 
2
Community Based Organization, Making it Count!, Detroit, United States
 
3
Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, United States
 
 
Publication date: 2025-06-23
 
 
Tob. Induc. Dis. 2025;23(Suppl 1):A283
 
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ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: In 2009, the United States passed the Family Smoking and Tobacco Prevention Act (Act). This historic legislation brought the regulation of tobacco products and the tobacco industry under the auspices of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When the Act was signed into law, all flavors in combustible cigarettes were banned all except for menthol. The tobacco industry has racistly and perniciously targeted the African American/Black community with mentholated tobacco products for decades. Resulting in more that 85% of Black people who smoke using mentholated tobacco products. Tobacco industry tactics included cultivating and manipulating the Black press, elected officials, and leadership groups. The industry has given away free cigarettes to Black children as young as nine years old. They have seeded multi generational addiction in the Black community, causing 45000 tobacco-induced deaths each year.
Since the passage of the ACT, a mounting and national effort spearheaded by African Americans has been underway to ban the sale of mentholated tobacco products. But the tobacco industry has managed to block national efforts by exploiting the legitimate civil and human rights of African Americans and undermine efforts to enact public health policies that would protect Black people and ban these products.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: In an attempt to compel the US FDA to ban menthol, the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, Action on Smoking and Health, the American Medical Association, and the National Medical Association have brought (2) lawsuits against the US FDA.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: Through community education and engagement community and leadership groups, voluntary organizations, and foundations have mounted a national response to ban these products.
CONCLUSIONS: This case is currently being heard by the US federal judicial system. Coordinated local and state efforts have resulted in over 190 U.S. local municipalities enacting legislation to restrict or ban the sale of mentholated tobacco products.
eISSN:1617-9625
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