On May 8th, according to the news website sfgate, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued warning letters to R.J. Reynolds and Imperial Tobacco accusing them of targeting the African American community with flavored tobacco products, a violation of the state's ban on flavored tobacco.
Banta claimed that these two companies were advertising "non-menthol" cigarettes targeted towards the black community. However, such products have been banned by a law passed in California since November 2022.
The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, who initiated the complaint, stated that the tobacco industry has been targeting black residents for decades.
According to the organization, nearly 45,000 Black Americans die annually from tobacco-related illnesses in the United States.
Dr. Phillip Gardiner, co-chair of the committee, stated that the committee will not tolerate tobacco companies continuing to harm the health of the Black community.
It's time to take action and immediately remove these illegal products from store shelves.
Imperial Tobacco and Reynolds Tobacco Company have been asked to respond by June 23rd.
In a prior report by The New York Times, it was revealed how major tobacco companies in the United States utilized tactics to oppose a ban on "menthol cigarettes" being implemented in the state of New York. These tobacco giants utilized financial lobbying to sway lawmakers and created divisions among black communities on sensitive racial issues, solely to prevent legislation that would be unfavorable to their own interests.
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a warning to tobacco companies that their targeted advertisements are in violation of state policy.
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