Tell the Common Council to end the sale of menthol cigarettes

TAKE ACTION

About the Campaign

There's a public health emergency unfolding right before our eyes — and the cause couldn't be clearer.

  • 85% of African American smokers use menthol cigarettes, compared to 29% of white smokers
  • Half of youth who have ever smoked initiated with menthol cigarettes.
  • Each year, 45,000 Black Americans die from smoking-caused illnesses.

Menthol cigarettes pose a tremendous public health threat — they make it easier to start and harder to quit smoking.

OUR SOLUTION: Ask Common Council to protect the health and future of Buffalo's youth and communities of color. Tell them to end the sale of menthol cigarteets and all other flavored tobacco products.



Heart of the City

No Menthol Buffalo, Heart of the City Initiative is a community-driven health campaign focused on raising awareness about the dangers of menthol and flavored tobacco products, particularly their link to hypertension, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

  • Through the engagement of trusted local advocates known as "Cardio Champions," the initiative provides culturally relevant health education, promotes tobacco cessation, and encourages healthy lifestyle changes such as improved nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, and adherence to medical care.
  • By addressing misinformation and fostering health literacy, the program aims to reduce tobacco-related health disparities and empower residents to take control of their heart health.
  • Tell the Buffalo Common Council to end the sale of menthol and flavored tobacco products, a policy action shown to save lives and reduce cardiovascular disease disparities in Buffalo by curbing predatory marketing and reducing menthol tobacco use in vulnerable populations.

Tell the common council to end the sale of menthol cigarettes!

Big Tobacco has used menthol cigarettes to target Black youth and communities for decades, with devastating health consequences. Now, due to that heavy targeting, 85% of Black smokers use menthols. But we can change this in Buffalo — and join the growing number of communities in the Northeast and across the country that have taken action against these insidious products.

Our Partners