Menthol Cigarettes

Caraballo, Ralph

Thursday, August 16, 2012: 3:30 PM

2505 AB (Kansas City Convention Center)

Dr. Ralph Caraballo, PhD , CDC Office on Smoking and Health, Atlanta, GA

Dr. Gregory Connolly, D.M.D., M.P.H. , Department of Society, Human Development & Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

Ms. Carol McGruder, B.A., DEFE , African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, San Francisco, CA

Dr. Valerie Yerger, ND , Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation attendees will be able to:

Describe data trends in the last decade on menthol use and initiation in specific sub populations
Recognize examples of how these products have been marketed to the black community and its impact on black smokers
List various community responses to marketing of these products and the difficulties in quitting

Cross Cutting Program Area(s): Cessation and Tobacco Regulation

Audience: All attendees

Key Points: Menthol Products have been marketed to the Black community and they have an impact on Black smokers. Menthol is more than just a candy flavored additive and it is aimed at the Black community.

Educational Experience: Attendees will learn about the latest data for all racial/ethnic groups and subgroups, trends in the last decade, and data on youth starting to smoke by smoking mentholated cigarettes. Data will also be presented on how menthol functions to promote initiation and contributed to the massive increase in female smoking in Japan.

Benefits: Attendees will be able to articulate prevalance of use and implications for the future in terms of forestalling initiation, cessation, policy, and regulation of menthol cigarettes.