The Campaign to End Tobacco Targeting, made up of community groups, public health advocacy organizations and faith institutions from around the city, is seeking to end the sale of flavored tobacco products in Cleveland. This includes sweet, candy flavored e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes that have been used by the tobacco industry as an effective and intentional means of getting children and vulnerable communities addicted to nicotine.
There are thousands of flavors such as bubblegum, cherry dynamite, popcorn and blueberry ice — which are addicting a new generation of kids to nicotine on the market. Meanwhile, menthol has a devastating impact on youth initiation of tobacco use and is a significant cause of health disparities and preventable death in the Black community. For decades, tobacco companies have targeted specific communities with marketing for menthol cigarettes, especially Black, Latino and LGTBQ communities.
The City of Cleveland has a proud history of taking action in support of public health. Such leadership is needed now. According to the 2019 Ohio Youth Tobacco Survey, nearly one in four high school students and nearly 13% of middle school students have used a flavored tobacco product. In Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Public Health has seen an 8% increase in smoking rates for African American adults. A law to end the sale of flavored tobacco, would not prohibit possession or use of such products, and would be enforced by Cleveland Public Health rather than law enforcement.
35%
of Cleveland residents smoke cigarettes (15% higher than the state average, and more than 20% higher than the US rate)
30%
of Ohio high school students
and 12% of middle school students
smoke e-cigarettes
10%
of Ohio high school students smoke cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos
Ohio's $86 billion state budget OK'd by governor, but with vetoes on tobacco regulation and vaccines
10 WBNS
Ohio Gov. DeWine vetoes tobacco measure that would prohibit local bans
Ohio Capital Journal
Tobacco companies continue to aggressively market menthol-flavored cigarettes to kids, African Americans, Latinos and other demographic groups as they have for decades.
American Cancer Society - Cancer Action Network
American Heart Association
American Lung Association
A Vision of Change
Better Health Partnership
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
Care Alliance Health Center
Case Western Reserve University
Center for Black Health and Equity
Center for Health Affairs
Center for Community Solutions
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Office of Minority Health
Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
First Year Cleveland
Healthy Cleveland BreatheFree Committee
Hospice of the Western Reserve
LGBT Community Center Greater Cleveland
MetroHealth
Midtown Cleveland Inc.
Mt. Sinai Health Foundation
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – Cleveland Branch
National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Greater Cleveland Chapter
Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition
Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services, Inc.
Ohio Public Health Association
Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation
Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes
PFLAG Cleveland
Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation
See You at the Top (SYATT)
Signature Health
Slavic Village Community Development Corporation
The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council
The Gathering Place
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center
Urban League of Greater Cleveland
Young Latino Network
YWCA Greater Cleveland
