Health Advocates to Demand City Council Hold Hearing on Menthol Ban After More than A Year of Delay

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BROOKLYN, NY (11/15/2023) (readMedia)-- Today, social justice and health groups demanded the City Council hold a hearing on Intro 577: legislation that will end the sale of menthol cigarettes in New York City. Civil rights leaders and about half the City Council are signed on to Intro 577, yet there hasn't been a hearing on the bill after more than a year of waiting. The Health Chair, Councilwoman Lynn Schulman, is a sponsor. Senator Gillibrand announced her support for the federal ban on menthol last week.

"The time to remove menthol flavored tobacco products from New York City store shelves is now. Menthol makes smoking cigarettes easier to start and harder to quit. Every year that that goes by without legislation that ends the sale of menthol cigarettes in New York City, thousands of New York City youth, primarily young people of color, will continue adopting this killer habit and nicotine addiction through menthol flavors," said Tabitha Ellis, Chair of the American Heart Association's NYC Advocacy Committee. "We call on Speaker Adams to bring Intro 577 to a vote. This bill has a growing coalition of support from public health organizations, civil rights leaders and more than half of NYC Council Members are signed on. Big Tobacco has aggressively marketed menthol flavored tobacco products to communities of color for decades, but we can begin to eradicate this with effective legislation."

"Achieving majority support for Intro 0577 marks a huge step in New York City Council's push to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and help to limit the impact from tobacco on New Yorkers' health across the five boroughs. Tobacco-related cancer and illness represents a real, present danger to New York City, particularly its Black and Brown communities and youth. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network urges Health Chair Lynn Schulman to schedule a hearing on this legislation and for Speaker Adrienne Adams to call a vote to pass Intro 0577," said Michael Davoli, New York Senior Government Relations Director, ACS CAN.

"For far too long, the tobacco industry has peddled its deadly, flavored tobacco products in our communities. Menthol cigarettes are the last flavored tobacco product being sold in New York City, and disproportionally impact communities of color, young people, and our most vulnerable New Yorkers. A majority of the City Council and a majority of its Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLAC) have signed on as cosponsors of the bill to prohibit their sale. The time is now for Health Committee Chairperson Shulman to hold a hearing on this bill and for Speaker Adams to bring this important legislation up for a vote before the Council," said Mike Seilback, National Assistant Vice President, State Public Policy for the American Lung Association.

"As the Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement and Chief Medical Officer of Tisch Cancer Institute, attaining majority support for Intro 0577 marks a significant stride in the New York City Council's endeavor to cease the sale of menthol cigarettes and mitigate the adverse impact of tobacco on the health of our fellow New Yorkers spanning all five boroughs. The menace of tobacco-related cancers and diseases is an ever-present peril to New York City, with a profound impact, especially on our Black and Brown communities and our youth. It is our urgent plea that Health Chair Lynn Schulman promptly arranges a hearing on this critical legislation, and we earnestly implore Speaker Adrienne Adams to orchestrate a vote for the adoption of Intro 0577," said Dr. Cardinale Smith, Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement and Chief Medical Officer of Tisch Cancer Institute.

"As the Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement and Chief Medical Officer of Tisch Cancer Institute, attaining majority support for Intro 0577 marks a significant stride in the New York City Council's endeavor to cease the sale of menthol cigarettes and mitigate the adverse impact of tobacco on the health of our fellow New Yorkers spanning all five boroughs. The menace of tobacco-related cancers and diseases is an ever-present peril to New York City, with a profound impact, especially on our Black and Brown communities and our youth. It is our urgent plea that Health Chair Lynn Schulman promptly arranges a hearing on this critical legislation, and we earnestly implore Speaker Adrienne Adams to orchestrate a vote for the adoption of Intro 0577." - Dr. Cardinale Smith, Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement and Chief Medical Officer of Tisch Cancer Institute

"Smoking is the major cause of cancer in the United States and probably the worst thing one can do to their health. Preventing young people from becoming addicted to cigarettes is essential. Menthol cigarettes are a health care dagger pointed at the heart of the underserved, so we are extremely pleased that the city council is now committed to end their sale in NYC." Said Dr. Benjamin Neel, Director of NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center.

"Smoking is the major cause of cancer in the United States and probably the worst thing one can do to their health. Preventing young people from becoming addicted to cigarettes is essential. Menthol cigarettes are a health care dagger pointed at the heart of the underserved, so we are extremely pleased that the city council is now committed to end their sale in NYC," said Benjamin G. Neel, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director, Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center

Menthol, which is an organic compound made from peppermint, masks the harsh taste of tobacco flavor, making it easier to start smoking and harder to quit. Big Tobacco has aggressively marketed flavored tobacco products to underage users for decades to hook new generations of smokers-particularly in communities of color, where menthol cigarettes are sold to young people, creating disproportionately negative health outcomes for Black Americans, who are 18% more likely to die from a disease from smoking-related illness than white smokers.

In New York City, 89 percent of Black adults and 63 percent of Latino adults who smoke use menthol cigarettes, as compared to 32 percent of white adults. More than half of youth smokers and seven-out-of-ten young African Americans smoke menthols. Eight-out-of-ten African Americans prefer menthols overall.

According to a study done by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) estimated that if the City implemented a ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes today, over the next two years, nearly 90,000 New Yorkers (the majority of whom being Black and Latino adults) would quit smoking, and nearly 3,000 young adults would not start smoking entirely who would have otherwise.

In 2013, the City Council enacted a local law that banned the sale of flavored tobacco products – but excluded menthol. In 2019, the New York City Council passed legislation banning flavored e-cigarettes, but a ban on menthol products was not brought for a vote.

Members of the Menthols Kill NYC coalition include: Statewide National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, NY African American Clergy and Elected Official organization (AACEO), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), New York Communities for Change, the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council NAATPN, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Neighbors in Action United Concerned Citizens, Bishop Courtenay of Emmanuel Church of God in Brooklyn, Rev. Addie Banks of The Groundswell Group, Miss Abbie's Kids, Arthur Ashe Institute Public Health, among others

Menthol flavoring increases the health risks of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Menthol masks the harshness of smoke, leading to deeper inhalation, greater addiction and lower rates of cessation. Tobacco companies use menthol cigarettes to attract new smokers. These products are especially popular among younger people as well as racially- and ethnically-minoritized groups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 37% of cigarettes sold in the United States are menthol flavored. In line with our Center's mission to promote health equity and reduce the overall burden of cancer, we strongly support this legislation to ban sales of mentholated tobacco products in our city. Bruce Rapkin, PhD, Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement; Co-Leader, Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Research; Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center.