Fighting Back Against Tobacco and Nicotine’s Harm On The Black Community

Tobacco use is one of the biggest threats to the health of our Colorado Black community, including here in Colorado. In fact, tobacco-related diseases like heart disease, cancer and stroke are some of the leading causes of death among African Americans,1 who have higher rates of death and illness from smoking-related diseases than many other racial and ethnic groups.2

This health disparity didn’t happen by accident. Tobacco companies have targeted our community for decades. That’s why groups like the NAACP, the Association of Black Cardiologists, and the National Black Nurses Association are supporting policies to reverse the influence of Big Tobacco on Black families and youth. 

What's The Matter With Menthol?

In the 1920s the tobacco industry first added a chemical compound called menthol to cigarettes. It made smoking feel easier on your lungs — and made it harder to quit. Starting around the 1950s, Big Tobacco pushed menthol cigarettes in the Black community with strategically appealing, yet deceptive advertising. 

The menthol push on the Black community was so effective that to this day nearly three of four Black adults who smoke use menthol cigarettes.3

The chemicals in menthol suppress coughing and make smoking feel less harsh, but in reality, menthol tobacco products are not safer. 

Creating a Healthier Community Together 

Some good news today is that many Black Americans are trying to quit tobacco and more report attempting to quit within the past year than the general population. For most people, it takes several attempts to quit for good, but success is worth it, no matter how many tries it takes. 

A lot of organizations are pulling back the curtain on how the tobacco industry has hurt the Black community. To learn more about the history and impact of tobacco on the Black community, check out the following resources: