Tobacco Action Coalition LI Combats Menthol-Flavored Tobacco Products

HAUPPAUGE, NY — The Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island and statewide partners are kicking off the statewide launch of Tobacco Free New York State’s 2022 “It’s Not Just” campaign, the organization announced.

The campaign is meant to educate people across New York state about the tobacco industry’s "historically inequitable marketing and promotion" of menthol-flavored tobacco products, according to the coalition.

The "It’s Not Just" campaign speaks from the youth perspective and blends imagery with direct quotes by tobacco executives to highlight the striking contrast between how the industry views youth and how youth see themselves. It is an extension of the campaign launched in May 2021 to urge the public to take action against the hard-hitting menthol-flavored tobacco product marketing that has "targeted and harmed Black communities for decades," the coalition wrote.

“Well over 25 years ago I joined the ranks of Youth Development Professionals, here in NY State and the fight against tobacco," said Nerthi M. Sanchez, youth director of Teen Services, Five Towns Community Center, MA in Social Research. "The tobacco industry continues to entice our children with their ever-expanding menthol products."

Sanchez called it "extremely alarming" that 54 percent of people between 12 and 17 years old who smoke use menthol cigarettes, as well as the tobacco industry spending more than half a million dollars each day on marketing in New York state alone.

"We must remain diligent at all costs so that we can protect youth in our communities," Sanchez said. "The numbers don’t lie, and I hope others join us in our stand against this extremely lucrative industry.”

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly 5.6 million of today’s Americans younger than 18 will die early from smoking-related illness if the current rate of youth smoking continues, according to the CDC. Every adult who dies early due to smoking is replaced by two new young smokers.

The coalition said the tobacco industry views teenagers as their potential future regular customers.

Flavors like menthol can make tobacco more appealing to new users, as the flavor masks the harshness of the smoke, the coalition said.

Youth who start using menthol cigarettes are more likely to become addicted and become long-term daily smokers, according to Tobacco-Free Kids. Nicotine exposure and addiction can prime the adolescent brain for other addictions and substances, as well.

"When New York State ended the sale of flavored e-cigarettes statewide in May 2020, it was a significant step toward reducing youth tobacco use," the coalition stated. "However, other flavored tobacco products, such as combustible menthol cigarettes, continue to present an obstacle to decreasing tobacco use among young people and underserved populations."

Additional statistics, provided by the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island:

• Menthol and tobacco marketing
  • Tobacco companies have a long history of developing and marketing flavored tobacco products as “starter” products that attract kids.
  • Tobacco companies market menthol cigarettes as “smoother” than other cigarettes.
  • Documents from the tobacco industry show that the industry studied smokers’ menthol preferences and manipulated menthol levels to appeal to adolescents and young adults.
  • Research shows that the tobacco industry attracted new smokers by promoting cigarettes with lower menthol content, which is popular among adolescents and young adults.
  • Tobacco companies spend $8.4 billion each year to promote their products, much of which directly reaches and influences kids.

• Menthol usage and addiction
  • Menthol cigarettes lead to increased smoking initiation among youth and young adults, greater addiction and decreased success in quitting smoking.
  • Menthol cools and numbs the throat, reducing the harshness of cigarette smoke, making menthol cigarettes more appealing to youth.
  • Over 7 out of 10 African American youth ages 12-17 years who smoke use menthol cigarettes.
• Health impact
• Menthol cigarettes are not less harmful than other cigarettes, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found that they are likely a greater risk to public health than non-menthol cigarettes.
• Researchers estimate that if a menthol ban had gone into effect in 2011, 320,000 smoking-attributed deaths would have been averted by 2050.
• Menthol cigarette smokers are as likely to experience premature morbidity and mortality as non-menthol cigarette smokers.