Lawmakers, health officials, and community advocates joined together in Niagara Falls, New York Wednesday morning, warning of the dangers of flavored tobacco products and urging the community to pressure their local shop owners to make it less easy for young people to get their hands on them.
Advocates say such products have contributed to above-average tobacco use and elevated disease rates.
“We cannot do this work alone, and that work is to save lives and to prevent our youth from becoming the next generation of replacement smokers and vapors,” said Stan Martin, founder and CEO of No Menthol Buffalo. “That being said, we know that the tobacco industry has historically, traditionally marketed and preyed upon communities of color. That's the intentional targeted marketing of flavored tobacco products, especially in vulnerable communities.”
Advocates, citing national research, say 85 percent of Black smokers use menthol cigarettes. They also state the percentage of overall smokers in Niagara County, at 24 percent, is much higher than the state average, which is estimated closer to 11 percent.
“Men here are also hit harder, with 62 cases of cancer for every 100,000 people, compared to 53 for the rest of the state, and about 17 percent of our high school students still smoke cigarettes and e-tobacco products,” said Dr. Rolanda Ward with the Niagara Coalition for Health Equity.
Wednesday’s gathering coincided with the Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action as well as the start of Minority Health Month. On this occasion, those in attendance also announced the launch of No Menthol Niagara Falls, a movement inspired by Martin’s Buffalo campaign.
“The launch of the No Menthol Niagara Falls movement is about making a stand, taking a stand. It's about protecting our young people before addiction takes place, takes hold, and it's about ensuring that our neighborhoods are no longer treated as marketplaces for harmful, harmful products,” said Niagara County legislator Jeffrey Elder. “As a Niagara County legislator, I stand committed to advancing policies that will remove flavored tobacco products, including menthol from our shells and out of our communities. We are choosing people over profit.”
Niagara Falls city councilmembers have issued a public declaration calling for the end of flavored tobacco product sales, including menthol cigarettes, within the city.
“Menthol is not just a flavor. It's a tool, a tool of addiction, a tool to rope smokers in and make it very much harder to quit” said Brian Archie, the council chair. “For decades, these products have been marketed aggressively in communities of color.”