How the Tobacco Industry Aggressively Advertised and Hooked Black Communities on Menthol Cigarettes, and Why Black Politicians Won't Ban Them

Max Lawton
Advanced Writing Portfolio
Jeannette Lee-Parikh
27 February 2024
Menthol, a chemical that emits a “minty taste and aroma,” is often used to affect the flavor of certain consumer and medicinal products. In cigarettes, it is often used to reduce the irritation and harshness of smoking in the repository system. Due to this, menthol cigarettes often contain larger amounts of nicotine making them increasingly addictive. This is an issue as tobacco companies advertise menthols in a disproportionate quantity to Black communities, resulting in addiction and health concerns. Steps have been made to prevent this, such as the proposal of a ban from the FDA, however as of yet the ban has not been ratified. The aggressive marketing of menthol cigarettes to Black communities, linked with the increased health risks associated with their usage, emphasizes the need for regulatory action. This action, however, is often opposed by prominent Black figures and companies, willing to perpetuate the atrocities committed by tobacco companies, all for political power, campaign funding, and personal financial gain. 
It is no secret that menthol companies such as Kool and Newport aggressively advertise towards Black smokers. These companies employ strategies such as buying large amounts of ad space to fill Black magazines with an abundance of smoking ads or paying for many sponsorships or promotions from athletes and public figures to connect with the intended market. An investigation from Journal of Advertising, conducted by Richard W. Pollay, Ph.D, et al., studied the nature of cigarette advertisements in a predominantly White magazine, Life, versus the nature of these advertisements in a predominantly Black magazine, Ebony. It was discovered that these companies advertised in Ebony in a greater quantity than they did in Life, and appealed more to “ethnic pride” through the use of black models. “During a 16 year period, 540 ads for 23 brands appeared in Ebony, while 526 ads for 33 brands appeared in comparable issues of Life”. Not only were the readers of Ebony exposed to more cigarette advertisements, but also at a smaller diversity. Additionally, advertising in Ebony featured endorsements from athletes five times more often than it did in Life. These endorsements featured the likes of Jesse Owens, Roy Campanella, and Jackie Robinson to name a few. Public figures, specifically athletes, were used as a pivotal part of many advertising campaigns by several tobacco companies. 

Black Figures Displayed On KOOL Packaging
Another incentive noted in the study was the reduction in cost to advertise to this group. The price for a page in the 1960 edition of Life was about $44,000 compared to $3,700 for a page of Ebony. At this time, Life was estimated to have about 14 times the readers as Ebony, so a cost per thousand deliveries (CPM) to a targeted audience was calculated. In 1960, the CPM for a cigarette ad in Life was $7.36 and was $6.73 for Ebony. This represents a nearly 9% decrease in advertising costs, making the return on investment significantly higher for Black markets. While this data does reflect the advertisement culture from the past, it still had some detrimental effects on people of the time, and still has effects on current day African Americans. It is estimated that even today 85% of black smokers and nearly 50% of youth smokers smoke menthol brands.
And the biological effects of menthol cigarettes can not be ignored. From increased danger to cardiovascular systems to the increased effects of nicotine, menthol cigarettes are considered especially dangerous and their users have increased difficulty of quitting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that “Menthol enhances the effects of nicotine on the brain and can make tobacco products even more addictive.” This is a substantial issue for smokers due to the perceived reduction in harshness, which has in turn allowed tobacco companies to increase the amount of nicotine in many menthol products. Another effect of smoking menthol cigarettes is the effect on acute cardiovascular health issues, and several studies on the effects of smoking menthol cigarettes have indicated these possible issues. A study published in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) shows how menthol flavoring affects the vascular system directly by interacting with both endothelium and vascular smooth muscle. This is due to menthol directly attacking certain cell groups such as sensory fibers. Menthol has been proven to increase certain cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension. 
In recent years, there has been a push to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes. On April 28, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration announced a proposed ban on allowing tobacco companies to include methanol as a flavoring. This ban was met with widespread support, some sources even reporting “crying tears of joy”. The American Lung Association reported that based on several modeling studies there would be an estimated 15.1% decrease in smoking prevalence within 40 years, leading to an estimated 324,000 to 654,000 lives saved. Furthermore, it was estimated that the ban would save an estimated 92,000 to 238,000 Black lives specifically and create widespread optimism in the community. However despite the positive reception, the ban has not passed to this day. In fact, the sale of menthol products is only banned in a few places. Only California and Massachusetts currently have state wide menthol bans, as well as several localities, the majority of which within the previously mentioned states. Menthol cigarettes are also banned in several other places around the world, including the entirety of the European Union. Currently, the Biden Administration is expected to push for the passing of the ban before the end of 2024, but health officials are “deeply concerned that the ban would not be put into place before the 2024 election”.
It might come as a surprise, but one of the leading oppositions to the menthol ban are actually prominent Black leaders themselves. This is because many Black figures and organizations have become dependent on the advertising income from tobacco companies, creating a divide when discussing this issue. "A lot of Black periodicals, like Ebony, became so dependent on tobacco advertising, that they were silent of the devastating impact of smoking in the Black community” said Keith Wailoo, author of Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette. As he goes on to describe, these companies, such as Ebony, have become so reliant on the constant source of funding from menthol advertising, that they are fiercely against the ban on menthol flavoring. This dependency towards tobacco is also seen in other important parts Black representation, such as in political or congregational representatives, as many members of the Black Congressional Caucus aimed to receive campaign donations and political support from tobacco companies. While some of the issues with the ban are legitimate, such as that it could have unintended consequences within criminal justice and law enforcement systems, these politicians also received campaign donations. Tobacco companies also employed tactics such as handing out free cigarettes, discounting menthol products in Black neighborhoods, and engaging in many other advertisement practices, all of which were considered “egregious practices” by the NAACP. 
The disproportionate advertisement of menthol cigarettes has created a social disparity in the smoking industry. By heavily marketing menthol cigarettes to predominantly Black communities, tobacco companies have successfully made menthol cigarettes the primary form of cigarettes in these areas. The failure to ratify the ban highlights the complex intersection of public health, politics, and economic interests. While concerns regarding unintended consequences of the ban must be addressed, the need to prioritize public health and mitigate the disproportionate impact of menthol cigarettes on Black communities remains of the utmost importance. It is essential for the politicians and organizations of the future to prioritize public health, and be willing to hold tobacco and cigarette companies accountable even if it results in a personal financial loss. 


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