How state public health agencies can reduce menthol cigarette use

State health officials can significantly reduce the use of menthol cigarettes by supporting local policies to restrict or ban the sale of the products and spreading awareness about the disproportionate toll they take on the African-American community and other at-risk populations.

Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute® researchers Shyanika Rose and Jessica Rath joined Delmonte Jefferson, executive director of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network, to discuss these points in a blog post for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

“While [the Food and Drug Administration] discusses seeking public comment on the role that menthol plays in making tobacco products more attractive to consumers, and as U.S. senators call for the FDA to ban menthol sales nationwide, states can take action to reduce access to mentholated tobacco products through public policy,” wrote Rath and Rose. “In addition, states can publish fact sheets and other resources on menthol cigarettes to better educate smoking and nonsmoking consumers about the unique health impacts and social context of menthol cigarette use.”

Read more about how state public health agencies can reduce the use of menthol cigarettes, the only remaining flavored cigarette on the market, and spread awareness of tobacco industry targeting in the ASTHO blog post “Menthol Cigarette Use Remains Issue Among African American Communities.”