Hochul Commits to Ending the Sale of Menthol, NYC Must Too

NEW YORK, NY (02/02/2023) (readMedia)-- Yesterday, Governor Hochul included a ban on flavored tobacco in her executive budget. In response, Candace Prince-Modeste, campaign manager of Menthols Kill NYC, put out the following statement:

"Governor Hochul's ban on flavored tobacco in her executive budget will save the lives of thousands of Black and brown New Yorkers - particularly children - who have been targeted by Big Tobacco with more addictive products like Menthol cigarettes. Every day another child is hooked on nicotine with a flavored tobacco product, shortening their life. The New York legislature and cities like New York City must immediately pass legislation like that proposed by Gov. Hochul to finally take these dangerous tobacco products off of store shelves forever."

BACKGROUND

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 an analysis 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.