November 19th, 2010
From: U.S. News and World Report
By Paul Bedard
A ban on menthol in cigarettes might be an obvious way to curb kiddie smoking, but a new survey of anti-smoking regulations in Canada finds that getting tough only results in a black market of smokes that are cheaper and easier for kids to get.
As the Food and Drug Administration considers a ban on menthol, cigarette makers like Lorillard, which produces Newport, have been pushing back. At a meeting today of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which has until March to advise the FDA on a regulatory path, the report they presented was a reminder that those who want to smoke will find a way to do it.
November 15th, 2010
By Nicole Ciandella
In 2009, President Obama–a semi-closeted smoker–signed the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.” The law granted the FDA new powers to regulate tobacco advertising. It also banned vanilla, coffee, clove, and other flavored cigarettes.
But the law didn’t ban menthol cigarettes. And now the FDA wants to correct that “mistake.”
November 4th, 2010
By Jessie Lee, Executive Director – National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
Jessie Lee
*A civilized society has to have a strong commitment to equal treatment in the administration of justice even when the topic might be unpopular.
One of the roles of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives is to sensitize government officials and others to the problems of the black community and to have the courage of our convictions in addressing those issues.
Anyone working in law enforcement today knows that cigarette smuggling is a significant problem. Contraband tobacco markets run deep and wide – operating not only in the United States, but also around the world.
October 29th, 2010
A proposed ban on menthol cigarettes has split the black community. Some argue in favor of banning the tobacco product most preferred by African Americans as a protection, others call it discrimination. Deron Snyder of The Root argues that banning some cigarettes and not others is paternalistic and not effective. by Deron Snyder
Deron Snyder is a regular contributor to The Root.
Banning menthol cigarettes, which 80 percent of African-American smokers prefer, won’t make folks quit.
As with virtually every other African-American smoker I know, the only acceptable brands of cigarettes for me came in green-and-white packs. If you didn’t puff Salems — my cancer sticks of choice — you probably consumed Newports or Kools.
