Detroit pastor refuses tobacco company's bribe to support ban

Recently, Reverend Sheffield of Detroit refused a large sum of money from the Reynolds Tobacco Company in opposition to the ban of menthol-flavored cigarettes. The amount was $250,000.

Even after Mr. Renault took public office, Renault Tobacco Company attempted to pay Sheffield to publicly oppose the proposed ban on menthol cigarettes by the US Food and Drug Administration.

In May, Sheffield wrote a column in a Detroit independent media outlet supporting the ban, using the phrase "smoking kills". The US Food and Drug Administration stated that 85% of African American smokers use menthol.

Sheffield told 7 Action News that this caused Reynolds Tobacco Company to raise their offer to $250,000, but she did not mention the identity of the bidder.

During an interview, Sheffield stated that he had never smoked in his entire life and that his mother had passed away due to emphysema caused by her failure to quit smoking. He also cited information from the FDA that revealed 85% of African American smokers use menthol. These reasons were among those he used to oppose the ban.

Sheffield stated that she is indeed aware of several prominent organizations receiving $4 million, while some individuals received $200,000 and $300,000 to oppose the ban. However, the significance of this matter cannot be measured by money. "There is no justifiable reason why all other data is prohibited, but the only information that affects African Americans is not.

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