What is Menthol?
Menthol is a
chemical compound found naturally in peppermint and some other plants.1 It can also be produced in a lab.1 Menthol changes the way the brain registers
the sensations of taste and pain.1
In cigarettes, menthol has a cooling sensation in the throat and airways
and the smoke feels less harsh and easier to inhale.1 Menthol is also used in other commercial
tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco, smokeless
tobacco, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products.1 Menthol also increases the effects of
nicotine, which is the addictive drug in cigarettes and other tobacco products;
essentially making tobacco products even more addictive.2 Additionally, tobacco companies have
increased the amount of nicotine in menthol cigarettes; thus, making it easier
to start smoking and harder to quit.2
What is the Problem?
Tobacco companies
aggressively marketed menthol-flavored tobacco products to the Black Community
for years! Specific examples include
using ad campaigns with messaging tailored to Black people and images featuring
Black models and Black musicians.4
Stores near schools where Black students attend are more likely to
promote menthol cigarettes through advertising and discounts. In addition, stores with neighborhoods with
more Black residents or residents with lower incomes advertise flavored little
cigars and cigarillos are more often and more available to buy.3
These aggressive
marketing practices have resulted in a disproportionate high rate of menthol
cigarettes use, second smoke exposure, health related issues, and death than
other population groups. Approximately,
81% of Black adults in the U.S. who currently smoke use menthol cigarettes.3 Moreover, about 40% of deaths due to menthol
cigarette smoking in the U.S. between the years of 1980 and 2018 were in the
Black community, despite making up 12% of the U.S. population.4
What Can I Do About It?
Ending the sale of
both menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars is pivotal in the effort to
eliminate dramatic health inequities in U.S. tobacco users. Halting the sale of
these flavored tobacco products lays the groundwork for reversing decades of
disparities in tobacco use, disease, and death in the Black community.
To protect the
public health of our community and prevent youth from initiating tobacco use, the
Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition (MOTAC) is asking for your help in
protecting the public health of our community.
I would like my elected
representatives to know that I support the eliminating of the sale menthol
and other flavored tobacco products.
MOTAC may use my name
publicly as an endorser of such a policy.
We will not share or distribute your contact information
without your permission.
