FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                       Press Contact: Nick Mansour
December 13, 2023                                           nmansour@choosehealthylife.org

Choose Healthy Life Urges Biden Administration to Ban Menthol Cigarettes

Supports Similar Proposal Introduced by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

Choose Healthy Life (CHL), a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing health disparities through the Black church, urges the Biden administration to act swiftly to approve the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed federal ban on menthol cigarettes. This crucial public health measure has been pending since April 2022. CHL also fully supports New York State Governor Kathy Hochul's similar proposal, unveiled earlier this year. The science is clear: menthol cigarettes are lethal and have a devastating impact on the Black community, and these bans must be passed to save Black lives.

"Our organization is firmly rooted in the belief that faith and science must come together to address the health disparities that affect the Black community – and that means standing up against menthol cigarettes," said Debra Fraser-Howze, Founder of Choose Healthy Life. “Our Black youth deserve a future free from these deadly products.”

The impact of menthol cigarettes on the Black community is particularly devastating. The FDA reports that 85% of Black smokers use menthol cigarettes, a stark contrast to the 29% of White smokers. This is largely due to decades of targeted marketing by tobacco companies. Despite smoking fewer cigarettes, Black smokers are more likely to die from smoking-related diseases, as per the Tobacco Control Journal. This is attributed to menthol making it easier to start smoking and harder to quit.

CHL’s endorsement of this ban is also supported by the FDA’s stated position that the ruling does not criminalize individual consumers for possession or use of menthol cigarettes or flavored cigars, and that state and local law enforcement “do not and cannot take enforcement action” against violations of the rule.

"We've seen the data, and the evidence is clear. Menthol cigarettes play a significant role in tobacco-related disease and death within the Black community," said Dr. Reed Tuckson, co-founder of the Black Coalition Against COVID, former Health Commissioner for Washington, DC and a member of the CHL Medical Advisory Board. "This proposed ban is a crucial step towards protecting our community's health and reducing the impact of these harmful products."

Choose Healthy Life stands in solidarity with fellow organizations such as the NAACP, Action on Smoking Health (ASH), Tobacco-Free Kids, the National Medical Association, and many others in supporting the ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

“Choose Healthy Life believes in the power of collective action to bring about meaningful change and improve the health and wellbeing of our community,” said Rev. Kimberly L. Williams, Executive Director of Choose Healthy Life. “We will continue to champion initiatives that promote health equity. We urge President Biden to swiftly implement this life-saving ban, and thank Governor Hochul for her leadership on this issue.”

​​About Choose Healthy Life:

Choose Healthy Life (CHL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing health disparities in the Black community through partnerships with the Black church – the oldest and most trusted institution in the Black community. For more information, visit  www.choosehealthylife.org.

###