To combat the racial health inequalities associated with tobacco use, the Biden administration revealed on Monday that this year’s anti-smoking awareness campaign will target menthol cigarettes specifically.
Meanwhile, outlawing the mint could lead to political conflict.
Seven fresh faces will grace the screens of conventional and streaming television, the web, and social media in the “Tips From Former Smokers” advertising campaign. There was heavy marketing of menthol cigarettes to minority groups, particularly Black people, because of their enticing flavor, and many of the ex-smokers featured in the piece were heavy menthol smokers.
Tammy W., a 50-year-old Odawa Indian from Michigan, claims in a new commercial that she felt menthol cigarettes could be safer than regular cigarettes. She had open-heart surgery when she was 44 years old.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that while cigarette usage has declined generally, menthol cigarettes have become more popular among smokers.
A far more significant proportion of Black smokers favor menthol cigarettes than White smokers, as reported by the Food and Drug Administration.
In the US, some 28 million adults smoke cigarettes, leading to more than 480,000 deaths a year from smoking-related causes.
The selling of menthol cigarettes was outlawed in 2022 by an order of the Food and Drug Administration. On the other hand, the administration is considering counterarguments and may decide to postpone the ban’s implementation until after the election.
The percentage of Black voters who smoke menthol cigarettes is higher than any other racial or ethnic group. Mr. Biden’s restriction could drive a wedge between the Democratic Party and this demographic.
According to a poll commissioned by the giant tobacco corporation Altria, a menthol cigarette ban was opposed by the majority of Biden voters. This was especially true among minority voters and non-conservative White voters under the age of 45.
In pivotal swing states such as Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia, this included most important Biden backers.
Among nearly 6,000 Americans surveyed last year, 62% were in favor of banning menthol cigarettes, according to a poll sponsored by the CDC. The fact that 61.5% of Black respondents favored this idea is quite intriguing.