Says tobacco industry is poisoning the black community in targeted campaign
In 2019, an estimated 18.5 million people in the United States aged 12 and older smoked menthol cigarettes, a disproportionate number of whom were youths, young adults, and African Americans. [Photo Credit: National Cancer Institute]
The health and well-being of African Americans is directly tied to stopping the proliferation of poison in our neighborhoods.
African American communities have been under siege for decades, inundated with messages by Big Tobacco intended to proliferate the poison in our neighborhoods.
Ending the sale of mentholated cigarettes and other flavored products that damage the health and well-being of African Americans, and the historical targeting of the black community must be a matter of local priority and regional necessity.
Big Tobacco’s tactics have led to the destruction of entire families. Menthol cigarettes are in their own way as sinister a drug as crack cocaine, heroin, and opioids.
For a decade, the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition has stood as a trusted voice working to address the cumulative impact of racism. Our mission continues to be working to educate, advocate for, and empower the community by confronting local and national policies that address racism as a public health crisis.
The time for change is now. Our local elected officials must heed the recommendation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and end their destructive toll on African American communities in Cleveland.
Dr. Zachery Williams
Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition
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