Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease in the U.S., with a disproportionate impact on the Black community. Black people are more likely to die of smoking related illnesses — heart disease, cancer, and stroke — than white individuals. Black people are also more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes, be exposed to secondhand smoke, and have a harder time quitting. A proposed ban on menthol cigarettes announced on April 29, 2022 by the Food and Drug Administration creates critical new opportunities to support tobacco cessation.
This Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) panel discussion explored the roots and rates of tobacco use in the Black community, related disease burden, and opportunities at the state and community levels to improve health equity through targeted cessation efforts. Keith Wailoo, PhD, Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University and CHCS Board member, detailed the history of predatory cigarette marketing drawing from his book, Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette. A panel of experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Center for Black Health & Equity, and leaders from California and North Carolina discussed national, state, and community-level opportunities to improve tobacco cessation.
See also a set of related resources curated by event speakers and CHCS.
Agenda
I. Welcome and Introduction
Speaker: Allison Hamblin, MPH, President and CEO, CHCS
A. Hamblin welcomed participants, introduced the panelists, and provided an overview of opportunities to address disparities in tobacco use and cessation through cross-sector partnerships.
II. Pushing Cool: Racial Marketing and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette
Speaker: Keith Wailoo, PhD, Professor of History and Public Affairs, Princeton University, and CHCS Board member
K. Wailoo explored how the tobacco industry — under the guise of a “healthier and less harsh smoke” — has targeted menthol cigarettes to the Black community since the 1960s. Today, more than 80 percent of Black smokers use menthols, which are easier to smoke and more addictive. He shared implications of this racially exploitative marketing and opportunities to inform more equitable policy moving forward.
III. Panel: Addressing Disparities in Tobacco Use and Cessation
A. Hamblin moderated a discussion on opportunities to reduce disparities in tobacco use and address health equity through targeted cessation efforts. K. Wailoo served as a reactor to share the historical and policy perspective. Panelists included:
- Sally Herndon, MPH, Head of the Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch, Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
- Delmonte Jefferson, Executive Director, The Center for Black Health & Equity
- Karla Sneegas, MPH, Branch Chief, Program Services Branch, CDC Office on Smoking and Health
- Cindy Valencia, PhD, MPH, Operations Director, CA Quits, UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research
Related Resources
- How the Tobacco Industry Hooked Black Smokers on Menthols – New York Times guest essay (May 11, 2022) by Keith Wailoo, PhD, Professor of History and Public Affairs, Princeton University.
- Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette – Keith Wailoo’s book reveals how the twin deceptions of health and Black affinity for menthol were crafted—and how the tobacco industry’s disturbingly powerful narrative has endured to this day.
- NoMentholSunday.org (May 15, 2022) – Explore resources and tools to participate in The Center for Black Health & Equity’s annual event, which is designed to engage communities in tough conversations about menthol and tobacco addiction and help people find the courage and resources to quit smoking.
- Implementing CDC’s 6|18 Initiative Resource Center – Check out practical resources and state examples on using cross-sector partnerships to improve tobacco cessation and reduce tobacco use.
- Advancing Smoking Cessation in California’s Medicaid Population – American Journal of Preventive Medicine supplement includes a variety of articles related to curbing cigarette use in Medicaid populations, including an article on CA Quits, see Building and Scaling-up California Quits: Supporting Health Systems Change for Tobacco Treatment.
- Factors Associated With Receipt of Smoking Cessation Advice and Assistance by Health Professionals Among Latino and Non-Latino White Smokers With Medicaid Insurance in California – C.V. Valencia, M. Dove, E.K. Tong. JAMA Network Open, January 19, 2022. See also related press release, Latino smokers on Medi-Cal still not getting help needed to quit.
- Best Practices User Guide: Putting Evidence into Practice in Tobacco Prevention and Control – Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2021 (see CA Quits description pgs. 55-56).
- State Tobacco Control Network Directory – Interactive state map lists Tobacco Control Network state and territorial representatives as well as staff contacts and resource links.
- Change for Life Tobacco-free Recovery Program – An initiative to support North Carolinians with behavioral health conditions, intellectual or developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries in becoming tobacco free.
- Health Justice in Tobacco Control – This guide from The Center for Black Health and Equity explores the complicated relationship between tobacco and Black Americans. It presents the Conceptual Model of Community as a tool to empower communities to fix the health disparities created by tobacco use.
