Tobacco Kills NY Announces Coalition of 50+ Groups & Major Ad Campaign To End the Sale of Flavored Tobacco

ALBANY, NY (03/03/2023) (readMedia)-- Tobacco Kills NY – a diverse, statewide campaign of civil rights and health advocates, including the NAACP, faith-leaders, public health groups, and others – announced today it has grown to more than 50 organizations and launched a major ad campaign in support of Governor Hochul's historic proposal to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. The ads, some of which can be found here, will air statewide during the month of March, highlighting how menthol cigarettes are harder to quit and more addictive than regular tobacco, as well as how Big Tobacco targets communities of color and kids to hook lifelong customers.

This week, a new poll out from Siena College showed a significant majority of New Yorkers surveyed were in favor of the proposed ban on menthol-flavored tobacco products, with 57% in favor versus 35% against. New Yorkers are also in favor of a one-dollar tax increase on cigarettes, with only a third of respondents against the measure, according to the poll.

"Black and brown New Yorkers have been targeted by Big Tobacco for generations with lies and dangerous products, making our rates of disease and death far higher than white smokers'," said Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, President of the NAACP New York State Conference. "Now Big Tobacco continues to fund misinformation campaigns that confuse the facts about our important legislation to remove deadly menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products from stores. Black folks will not be criminalized by this legislation – in fact, the bill does not even allow police to ask folks where they purchased their cigarettes. We will not let Big Tobacco win by fighting dirty by sharing the truth with New Yorkers. Don't believe the lies: we can prevent thousands of Black deaths and that starts with ending the sale of menthol."

New York State made great strides to prevent youth tobacco use by restricting the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in 2020–but the new regulations still allowed other dangerous flavored tobacco products known to increase addiction to continue to be sold. Menthol cigarettes, which are much easier to smoke and more addictive than regular tobacco, are still available on shelves and the number one way Big Tobacco hooks young smokers and keeps Black New Yorkers addicted.

For generations, Big Tobacco has aggressively marketed flavored tobacco products to underage users and communities of color, creating disproportionately negative health outcomes for African-Americans in particular. In New York State, menthol cigarettes are used by over half of all adult smokers (52%). 86% of Black smokers and 72% of Hispanic smokers smoke menthols. Now 62% of Americans support a ban on menthol, including two-thirds of Black Americans.

According to an analysis done by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), a ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes would result in nearly 90,000 New Yorkers (the majority of whom would be Black and Latino adults) quitting smoking in just two years. The analysis also estimated that nearly 3,000 young adults would not start smoking who would have otherwise.

Neither the City nor the State legislation will lead to the arrest or incarceration of more Black and Brown New Yorkers. Both bills contain strong language ensuring that only brick-and-mortar retailers are the focus of any enforcement actions, not individuals. Individual purchase, use, and possession of products covered by the law is explicitly exempted from any enforcement activity or citation under the policy. Police are not and will not be tasked with enforcing flavored tobacco restrictions - and assertions to the contrary are false.

The Tobacco Kills NY ads will be paid for by the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund in support of the campaign and its goals.

Supporters of Tobacco Kills

African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Nurses Association - New York, The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area, Brooklyn College Cancer Center, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Center for Black Health & Equity, Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Community Health Care Association of New York State, Community Healthcare Network, Healthy Alliance. Hispanic Federation, Interfaith Public Health Network, March of Dimes, Medical Society of the State of New York, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mental Health Association in New York, Montefiore Health System, Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center, NAACP New York State Conference, New York Chapter American College of Physicians Services, Inc., New York Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, New York Public Interest Research Group, New York School-Based Health Alliances, NYS Academy of Family Physicians, NYS American Academy of Pediatrics, Chapters 1, 2, & 3, .NYS Association for Rural Health, NYS Association of County Health Officials, New York State Conference of Blue Cross, NYS Association of County Health Officials, New York State Conference of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans (NYSCOP), NYS Council of Health-system Pharmacists, NYS Council of School Superintendents, The NYS Neurological Society, NYS PTA, NYS Public Health Association, NYS School Boards Association, NYS Society of Anesthesiologists, NYS Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Inc., The NYS Society of Plastic Surgeons, NYS United Teachers, NYU Langone, Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes, Pharmacists Society of the State of New York, Public Health Solutions, School Administrators Association of New York State, St. Peter's Health Partners, VIP Community Services, WNY United Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse, Inc, and Blue Shield Plans (NYSCOP).