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Bob Emrich is the pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Plymouth.
For years, I have been at the forefront of various issues and have spoken out against efforts that do not align with the values that we uphold as believers. Now, it is important that we use our voice to stand up against an industry that is an extreme threat to health equity: Big Tobacco. They have targeted children with deadly products, increasing their profits while lives are lost and while our children are introduced to a lifetime of addiction.
But there’s hope. We are now one step closer to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalizing and implementing its proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and one step closer to reducing health inequity.
For far too long, the tobacco industry has flooded the market with harmful products and used targeted marketing to make their products more appealing to kids. Menthol cools and numbs the throat, reducing the harshness of the smoke, making it easier for kids to start smoking. Half of youth who try smoking start with menthol cigarettes.
Not to be overlooked, flavored cigars have emerged as a popular product for youth mostly due to the large variety of flavors that they come in. When our youth sees flavors like “Cherry Dynamite” and “Berry Fusion,” they may not realize that these products are filled with the same dangerous chemicals as other tobacco products. The U.S. surgeon general has warned that youth use of nicotine in any form is unsafe, can cause addiction and can harm adolescent brain development. It is time to put an end to the tobacco industry’s efforts to sell addiction to our youth in colorful, appealing packages.
Although we have made progress across the country with reducing smoking rates, the tobacco industry’s emphasis on flavored products and the introduction of new products have hooked too many of our kids. Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. In Maine, 2,400 adults die each year from tobacco-related diseases and our youth are being targeted for the same fate. Given current smoking levels, 27,000 kids in our state today could ultimately die from tobacco-use.
The FDA’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars is an extraordinarily important step forward in this fight. Researchers estimate that up to 654,000 lives could be saved over time if menthol cigarettes are no longer available.
The FDA’s proposed rules are now in their final stages of review. The tobacco industry is fighting harder than ever to delay these actions. These flavored products are a large part of their market and they rely on our youth being hooked. We cannot stand by as they try to set back efforts by the FDA and continue to profit off targeting kids and underserved communities. Especially not now that we are nearing the finish line. It is time to hold the tobacco industry accountable.
I stand with other leaders in the faith movement to protect our youth and save lives. It is vital that the Biden-Harris administration continues to move forward with the finalization of the FDA’s proposed rules to prohibit menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and that any delays are prevented. Strong scientific evidence shows us that the health benefits from eliminating these flavored products are undeniable.
To protect our kids and our communities, the answer is clear: eliminate menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.