The Tobacco Industry Profits While 45,000 Black Lives Are Lost Each Year
JOIN OUR WEEK OF ACTION IN ATLANTA
November 14-17, 2022
Leading up to the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout® on November 17, Atlanta health and social justice advocates are raising awareness about locally available resources to help smokers quit and the need to ban menthol cigarettes, which have plagued the Black community and other vulnerable populations in Atlanta and across the nation. For media inquiries, please reach out to Dave Lemmon at dlemmon@tobaccofreekids.org.
FEATURED EVENT
American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout
Thursday, November 17, 5:00 - 9:00 PM
Park Tavern (Piedmont Park, 500 10th Street NE)
Join us to hear from community leaders about resources to quit smoking and the need to prohibit menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products. There will be live music, free food and more entertainment!
MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK
FIRESIDE CHAT
Monday, Nov. 14, 1:00 PM
Virtual Fireside Chat & Educational Webinar hosted by the H.E.A.R.T. Coalition and Parents Again Vaping e-cigarettes (PAVe).
TOBACCO AWARENESS DAY
Tuesday, Nov. 15
Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University will celebrate Tobacco Awareness Day. Invitation only.
GO COLD TURKEY FOR A TURKEY
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 3:00 - 5:00 PM
West End Library (525 Peebles Street SW)
Learn more about available tobacco cessation services. We will provide a gift card for purchasing a turkey for those who pledge to "quit cold turkey."
These events will be hosted by H.E.A.R.T. (Health Education Awareness and Research on Tobacco) and No Menthol Movement ATL, two broad-based community coalitions working to reduce tobacco use and save lives. Other participants include CVS Health, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Black Women’s Health Imperative, the Center for Black Health and Equity, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and many others.
OUR PARTNERS
More Information About Tobacco and Menthol Cigarettes
Earlier this year, the FDA proposed historic regulations to prohibit menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, products that have long been marketed to Black communities and kids and caused devastating and disproportionate harm to Black health.
Scientific evidence shows that menthol cigarettes are more addictive, easier for kids to start and harder for smokers to quit. Menthol numbs the throat and masks the harshness of cigarette smoke, which makes it easier for kids to start smoking and eventually become addicted.
For decades, the tobacco industry has marketed menthol cigarettes to Black communities. In the 1950s, less than 10% of Black smokers used menthol cigarettes; today that number is 85%. Menthol cigarettes are a major reason why tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death among Black Americans – claiming 45,000 Black lives each year – and Black Americans die at higher rates from tobacco-related diseases like cancer, heart disease and stroke. Eliminating menthol and other flavored tobacco products will protect kids, advance health equity, and save lives, especially among Black Americans.
There is strong support for prohibiting menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars from a wide range of organizations, scientists and elected officials – including from leading Black organizations like the NAACP, the National Medical Association, the National Black Nurses Association, the Association of Black Cardiologists and others.
Learn more here.