Webinar “What’s Menthol Got To Do With It? Everything!”

Ending the Menthol Trap

Join the Youth Engagement Alliance and guest presenter Dr. Phillip Gardiner for a discussion about menthol cigarettes, flavored tobacco products and their disproportionate impact on the health of American youth. The scientific evidence leaves no doubt that menthol cigarettes increase the number of people, particularly kids, and especially African-American kids, who try the product, become addicted and die a premature death as a result. A 2009 federal law prohibited the sale of most flavored cigarettes, but this provision excluded menthol and did not apply to other tobacco products like e-cigarettes. Kid-friendly flavors have driven the huge increases in the popularity of e-cigarettes among young in recent years.

Flavor and menthol restrictions are crucial to protecting the health of our country’s young people.

This webinar will feature an overview of the history of mentholated tobacco products and how they became popular among African-Americans, the impact of flavored tobacco products on youth, and a discussion of ways adult coordinators can support ending the sale of flavored tobacco products, including mentholated products.

Learning Objectives-

• Learn about the history of menthol and flavors in tobacco products and the limitations of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009
• Describe the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics toward minorities and youth, and the increased health disparities among African-Americans
• Identify emerging products and the importance of including flavor/menthol restrictions in tobacco control policy
• Discuss the importance of local and statewide flavor restrictions and ways adult coordinators working with youth can put pressure on the FDA to take action on putting an end to the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol.

Register Here