Health advocates are urging the Columbus City Council to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored electronic cigarettes in stores throughout the city.
Amanda Turner, the Executive Director of Tobacco 21, stated that the city council has not yet proposed any legislation, but the proposal is currently being drafted. Turner explained that this issue first arose approximately 18 months ago during a conversation with the Columbus Department of Public Health.
Dr. Phillip Gardner, a public health expert, has stated that 85 cities in the United States have already banned the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes, with an additional 300 cities recently banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. Gardner, who is co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, also noted that Canada has a nationwide ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes.
Gardner and Turner stated that prohibiting the sale of these products in the city will begin to reverse the effects of decades of marketing aimed specifically at black people, other people of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, and other marginalized groups. Gardner said that the industry profits by using "disproportionate marketing and predatory plunder" to exploit vulnerable communities and make a profit.
According to him, tobacco marketers have discovered that promoting menthol cigarettes to black celebrities and athletes, even lowering their costs in communities with African Americans. Currently, 85% of black smokers use menthol cigarettes, while the same figure for white smokers is 30%. "In the early 1950s, only 5% of African Americans smoked menthol cigarettes. By 1968, this percentage had almost tripled to 14%. By 1976, it had tripled again to 42%," Gardner said.
He stated that despite critics suggesting that such a ban would only create an illegal market or push shoppers to other jurisdictions, the data indicates that this has not been the case in these areas. Turner further explained that the data shows that removing more addictive tobacco from the equation would aid individuals in quitting smoking.
Many individuals may switch products, but research indicates that if you are using menthol cigarettes and wish to quit smoking and switch to regular cigarettes, your chances of successfully quitting are higher because menthol is a flavoring. It is a cooling agent that can suppress coughing, Turner explained.
Gardner stated that this is "outrageous" because adding menthol makes people more susceptible to nicotine addiction and more difficult to quit. "Menthol is defined as an anesthetic that actually covers up the harsh taste of tobacco smoke. It has a numbing and cooling effect and allows for deeper inhalation. The deeper you inhale, the more toxins and nicotine you ingest," Gardner said. "The more nicotine and toxins you ingest, the more addicted you become. Quitting becomes even harder. That's why they put it in there. It's outrageous from the start.
Gardiner stated that the FDA is currently exploring the idea of banning the use of menthol in cigarettes, but the process would take too long. "The FDA is considering getting rid of menthol, but unfortunately, due to the FDA's delay, it is important for communities like Columbus to take action themselves. The FDA will need several years to accomplish this," he said.
Turner and Gardner stated that the ban would not prohibit products within the city, but only the sale of them. Therefore, individuals would not face trouble for purchasing and bringing them in from elsewhere. "These laws are about getting retailers to stop selling them and not about individuals using personal property or pursuing a percentage," said Gardner.
Critics say the ban is unfair to smokers who enjoy menthol or use flavored e-cigarettes as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. Some argue that it discriminates against Black smokers. In response, Gardner stated that "racists are not public health doctors, they're in the tobacco industry." "Indeed, it has been the tobacco industry that has been discriminatory, that has been racist," Gardner continued. "It is not the tobacco control movement that is trying to save lives.
When asked why health officials are taking action to prevent flavored tobacco instead of flavored alcohol, Gardner explained that occasional alcohol consumption, not including binge drinking, does not kill people. However, "if you use cigarettes as expected, 50% of people will die from smoking.
Cigarettes are more deadly. In fact, tobacco-related diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, including in the United States, Ohio, and unfortunately Columbus. This is the reality. We are working hard to save lives," Gardner said.
Art Way, a drug policy consultant who works with the tobacco industry, argues that focusing on smoking cessation is a more effective way to reduce nicotine addiction. Targeted bans like these, Way contends, are similar to "patronizing, drug war-type policies that do not benefit our communities.
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