Big Tobacco, Black trauma
Tobacco companies have historically targeted menthol-flavored cigarettes at the Black community. As the federal government weighs a ban, the industry is doubling down.
Headlines From The Times · Gustavo Arellano, Denise Guerra, Shannon Lin, Kasia Broussalian, Ashlea Brown, Angel Carreras, David Toledo, Mario Diaz, Kinsee Morlan, Jazmín Aguilera, Shani O. Hilton, Madalyn Amato, Carlos De Loera
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Show Notes
Menthol-flavored cigarettes have been controversial for decades, and the Food and Drug Administration is weighing a national ban on them. But tobacco companies are not a fan of losing out on millions of dollars with that possible move. So they’ve enlisted leaders in a community that has long been the biggest consumer of menthols: Black people.
Read the show transcript here.
Host: Gustavo Arellano
Guests: L.A. Times medical investigations reporter Emily Baumgaertner, and Ben Stockton of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
More reading:
How Big Tobacco used George Floyd and Eric Garner to stoke fear among Black smokers
Addicted to menthol: Big Tobacco’s targeting of Black communities could soon end
Op-Ed: Big Tobacco helped destroy Black Americans’ health. Banning menthols could help improve it