Menthol cigarette marketing has disproportionately targeted Black communities, leading to higher rates of menthol use compared to other groups. Additionally, some have falsely claimed that if Blacks quit smoking, it would lead to increased crime and violence, a tactic used to discourage quitting. However, studies show Black people actually have a greater intention to quit smoking than other populations. Overall, the deceptive marketing of menthol cigarettes has had a more severe impact on Black consumers.
Menthol cigarette advertisements and commercials intentionally and excessively target the Black population, aiming to garner conformity. According to the Truth Initiative, 1.5 million new smokers were created just from the Black community alone between 1980-2018. While Black Americans make up only 12% of the total U.S. population, they represent a staggeringly high percentage of the total menthol cigarette-related harm. The data further highlights stark racial disparities in menthol cigarette use. From 2008-2010, menthol cigarette use was much higher among young adult (ages 18-25) current smokers who were Black (93.9%) compared to those who were white (36.3%), Hispanic (47.3%), or Asian American (49.7%). This disparity persists; in 2018-2020, 0.95% of Black adolescents smoked menthol cigarettes in the past 30 days, about half the rate of 1.98% for non-Black adolescents. The gap was even greater in 2012-2014, when 68% of Black American adolescent smokers used menthol cigarettes versus 51% for all other adolescent smokers.
Research shows that menthol cigarette prices and promotions are significantly higher in neighborhoods with larger Black populations. Black publications such as Ebony Magazine once heavily depended on ads for menthol cigarettes. In Washington, D.C., tobacco stores in predominantly Black areas had far more marketing for flavored tobacco products, especially flavored cigars, compared to stores in areas with fewer Black residents. A similar pattern emerged in California, where retailers in neighborhoods with more Black residents were substantially more likely to advertise menthol cigarettes. Specifically, Newport cigarettes were about 25 cents cheaper in areas with higher concentrations of Black residents versus the lowest-proportion Black neighborhoods.
The tobacco industry has launched a calculated misinformation campaign to sow fear and opposition to proposed laws that would eliminate menthol cigarettes. They have spread false narratives, propaganda, and misleading statements through various media channels, claiming that such laws would increase racial profiling and further criminalize Black communities. Civil Rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton reportedly penned a letter to the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf to halt the ban on menthol cigarettes alleging that it could lead to an illegal market that may fuel clashes between Black Americans and the police. However, public health experts have criticized these industry-backed events as exploitative and designed to manipulate the Black community. Ultimately, the tobacco industry is using deception and lies to capitalize on and monopolize the Black community’s vulnerabilities, solely to derive profit from harmful, addictive products. This cynical strategy seeks to preserve the industry’s interests at the expense of public health and racial justice.
Despite the inaccurate media portrayals and societal pressures that have long targeted the Black community with menthol cigarette marketing, Black Americans remain determined to eliminate menthol from their lives. In fact, studies have shown that Black smokers are more likely than white smokers to report intentions to quit using menthol cigarettes. A 2020 review, according to the Truth Initiative, found that 47% of Black American smokers intended to quit, compared to 34% of white smokers. Similarly, a Minnesota survey revealed that Black menthol smokers were twice as likely as white menthol smokers to express quitting intentions, at 76.0% versus 30.3%. Despite the tobacco industry’s efforts to profit from the Black community’s menthol use, the data demonstrates the community’s resolve to break free from this harmful addiction.
Ultimately, menthol cigarette companies are aggressively marketing these products to the Black community, despite the well-documented harms. They are deliberately targeting Black consumers, driving up the rates of menthol cigarette use and addiction within this population. The industry is propagating false narratives that suggest tragedy will befall Black communities if they stop using menthol cigarettes. Even as the government tries to counter these manipulative tactics and discourage menthol cigarette use, Black Americans remain more likely to quit these products compared to other racial groups. This disparity exists despite the fact that many non-Black consumers do not face the same predatory marketing and social pressures surrounding menthol cigarettes. At the core of this argument is the glaring connection between capitalism and disenfranchisement.