The Mainstream Tobacco Control Movement and Smoking Among African Americans: Some Diversity But Little Inclusivity or Participation

No More than Token Support for Policy Change and Withholding of Evidence-Based Treatment1. No More than Token Support for Policy Change When the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids negotiated the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act with Philip Morris (with Congressional mediation), it had a perfect opportunity to advance a policy initiative that truly would have made a difference in reducing smoking among African Americans: banning flavored cigarettes. After all, approximately 80%-85% of African Americans smoke flavored cigarettes. This disproportionate preference for menthol cigarettes applies both to youth and adult African American smokers.However, the Campaign agreed to exempt the one flavor that is preferred by the 80%-85% of African American smokers, and instead, to only ban flavors that are not actually used, such as banana, pineapple, coconut, cherry, lime, lemon, chocolate, vanilla, and raspberry. Moreover, when the Senate HELP Committee considered an amendment that would have eliminated the menthol exemption, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids opposed this amendment.Now, as essentially an after-thought, the Campaign has co-signed a petition to urge the FDA to ban menthol cigarettes. But I'm afraid that it is too little, too late. The FDA's decision has already been made, and it was made at the negotiating table when the Campaign agreed to the menthol exemption and in the Senate HELP Committee when the Campaign opposed the removal of the menthol exemption.Th...
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