Background:
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed into law in June 2009, gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) some authority to regulate tobacco products. The law made the sale of most flavored cigarettes illegal in order to protect youth but, unfortunately, exempted menthol-flavored cigarettes, the flavor used by most youth tobacco users.
The legislation required the FDA to conduct a scientific review of menthol. The FDA's Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) scientific review found menthol is linked to youth beginning tobacco use and increased tobacco use, especially among youth and African Americans, and said removing menthol would benefit public health.
It's now up to to the FDA on whether to add menthol to the list of banned flavors for tobacco products. We need your help.
Who Uses Menthol:
Menthol accounts for around 25% of the cigarette market and is the flavor most used by teens. Among high school smokers in the U.S., 43% smoke menthol cigarettes. The breakdown of menthol use by race/ethnicity for high school smokers:
§ Black/African American 84%
§ Hispanic/Latino 56%
§ Asian American 43%
§ White 37%
Tobacco Industry Use of Flavors/Menthol to Addict Youth:
The tobacco industry's once secret documents reveal how they have used flavors like menthol to addict youth to tobacco.
"Our profile taken locally shows this brand being purchased by black people (all ages), young adults (usually college age), but the base of our business is the high school student." Quote from internal document from Lorillard Tobacco (maker of Newport)
Removing Menthol Will Save Lives:
A National Cancer Institute survey of Black and White adult menthol users found almost 40% would quit instead of use another tobacco product. A study published in the May 2011 American Journal of Public Health found removing menthol could save more than 600,000 lives.
Take Action - Support the Removal of Menthol:
Join the list of individuals, organizations, government agencies, and others calling on the FDA to remove menthol flavoring from tobacco products.
Updates
January 28, 2012
I lost my uncle to a smoking-related illness and the sight of menthols still being pushed on our children is something I cannot accept. I have been spending my nights sending emails to the people in charge because they need to be held accountable for this ongoing loophole. Please keep watching this space as I press them for answers.
January 28, 2012
Seeing this movement grow brings me back to the nights I spent watching my own family struggle with the grip of these products. Each name added here proves that we are no longer willing to let the industry target our communities with menthol while our loved ones pay the price.
8 Comments
Menthol makes it way too easy for kids to start smoking. Get them off the shelves now.
get rid of menthol.
My teen started with menthols because they taste better. This needs to stop.
Banning menthol is long overdue. Stop letting these companies target our kids with cooling flavors.
WHY are these still legal?? ban them already.
Please remove menthol from all tobacco products.
Please remove menthol from all tobacco products.
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Background:
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed into law in June 2009, gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) some authority to regulate tobacco products. The law made the sale of most flavored cigarettes illegal in order to protect youth but, unfortunately, exempted menthol-flavored cigarettes, the flavor used by most youth tobacco users.
The legislation required the FDA to conduct a scientific review of menthol. The FDA's Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) scientific review found menthol is linked to youth beginning tobacco use and increased tobacco use, especially among youth and African Americans, and said removing menthol would benefit public health.
It's now up to to the FDA on whether to add menthol to the list of banned flavors for tobacco products. We need your help.
Who Uses Menthol:
Menthol accounts for around 25% of the cigarette market and is the flavor most used by teens. Among high school smokers in the U.S., 43% smoke menthol cigarettes. The breakdown of menthol use by race/ethnicity for high school smokers:
§ Black/African American 84%
§ Hispanic/Latino 56%
§ Asian American 43%
§ White 37%
Tobacco Industry Use of Flavors/Menthol to Addict Youth:
The tobacco industry's once secret documents reveal how they have used flavors like menthol to addict youth to tobacco.
"Our profile taken locally shows this brand being purchased by black people (all ages), young adults (usually college age), but the base of our business is the high school student." Quote from internal document from Lorillard Tobacco (maker of Newport)
Removing Menthol Will Save Lives:
A National Cancer Institute survey of Black and White adult menthol users found almost 40% would quit instead of use another tobacco product. A study published in the May 2011 American Journal of Public Health found removing menthol could save more than 600,000 lives.
Take Action - Support the Removal of Menthol:
Join the list of individuals, organizations, government agencies, and others calling on the FDA to remove menthol flavoring from tobacco products.
Updates
January 28, 2012
I lost my uncle to a smoking-related illness and the sight of menthols still being pushed on our children is something I cannot accept. I have been spending my nights sending emails to the people in charge because they need to be held accountable for this ongoing loophole. Please keep watching this space as I press them for answers.
January 28, 2012
Seeing this movement grow brings me back to the nights I spent watching my own family struggle with the grip of these products. Each name added here proves that we are no longer willing to let the industry target our communities with menthol while our loved ones pay the price.
8 Comments
It is crazy that they banned other flavors but left menthol alone. Do the right thing.
Menthol makes it way too easy for kids to start smoking. Get them off the shelves now.
get rid of menthol.
My teen started with menthols because they taste better. This needs to stop.
Banning menthol is long overdue. Stop letting these companies target our kids with cooling flavors.
WHY are these still legal?? ban them already.
Please remove menthol from all tobacco products.
Please remove menthol from all tobacco products.
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It is crazy that they banned other flavors but left menthol alone. Do the right thing.