Right now, the FDA is taking comments on their proposed rules to end the sale of all menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. If finalized, these rules will have a dramatic impact on the health of Missouri residents.
Tobacco is still the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Missouri, killing 10,970 annually in our state alone. It is estimated that nationally, 1/3 of all people who smoke use menthol cigarettes.
Menthol cigarettes remain a key factor for tobacco-related death and disease in Black communities. More than 81% of Black Americans who smoke use menthol cigarettes, and a study released in 2021 found that menthol cigarettes were responsible for 1.5 million new smokers, 157,000 smoking-related premature deaths and 1.5 million life years lost among Black Americans nationally from 1980–2018. Additionally, despite historically starting later and smoking fewer cigarettes daily than white Americans, Black Americans are 6% more likely to be diagnosed with and 17% more likely to die from a tobacco-related cancer.
We have a tremendous opportunity to save lives and reduce tobacco’s toll on the health of Missouri residents. In the first 13-17 months of removing menthol cigarettes from the marketplace, one study estimates 923,000 smokers would quit. And we know what works to help people quit– a combination of FDA-approved cessation medication and proven counseling programs.
Plesetta Clayton
St. Louis
