Opinion

The Ridiculously Racist History of Menthol Cigarettes

‘KILLING US ON THE WAY’
opinion
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Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos via Getty

Cigarette companies were blunt in their internal memos about pushing menthols on young, Black smokers and prospective smokers.

When the Biden Food and Drug Administration announced its plan to ban menthols, it cited the fact that “out of all Black smokers, nearly 85 percent smoke menthol cigarettes, compared to 30 percent of White smokers who smoke menthols.”

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