DC Tobacco Free Coalition Co-Authors New Report:
97 Organizations from Around the World Call on UN Human Rights Committee to Address Menthol
Contact:
Rena Pina, rena@dctfc.org
Washington, DC - April 21, 2021 - Today, the District of Columbia Tobacco Free Coalition co-authored a report to the Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), an international human rights body made up of independent experts responsible for monitoring the implementation of the International Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). The report highlights the ongoing epidemic of harms caused by menthol cigarettes in the United States. Menthol makes it easier to start smoking and harder to quit, resulting in a higher death toll for African Americans who have been targeted with menthol cigarettes.
The United States is a party to the ICERD; however, the United States is almost four years past due to submit its report to this important human rights treaty aimed at reducing racial inequities. Therefore, our organizations also sent a letter calling on the State Department to expedite the U.S. government’s report to CERD.
“Despite tobacco industry propaganda, there is no doubt that the use of menthol in cigarettes and other tobacco products hurts the African American community. We hope the United States government will see our joint CERD report submission and take the much-needed action to protect African Americans from menthol, ultimately saving our youth and many others from a life-long deadly tobacco addiction,” said Charles Debnam, Deputy CEO, Community Wellness Alliance and a DC Tobacco Free Coalition member.
ICERD is legally binding for member State parties (including the United States); each State has the obligation to uphold and implement all provisions of the Convention, which include provisions on health, namely that everyone, regardless of race, color, origin, etc., has a right to public health.
The CERD committee typically does not review the human rights records of countries until the government has submitted their report, so it is essential that the U.S. government fulfill its human rights obligations and submit its report.
From the report:
More than 16% of adults in Washington, DC are smokers. Tobacco-use rates are disproportionately high among certain populations in Washington, DC, including African Americans and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults.
Smoking prevalence among black adults in DC is 20.3%.
Researchers in Washington, DC found that stores in predominantly black neighborhoods were up to ten times more likely to display tobacco ads inside and outside than retailers in areas with fewer black residents.
The health consequences of tobacco use are especially severe now as COVID-19, which is also disproportionately affecting Black Americans, can carry a greater risk of severe illness for tobacco users.
Menthol, specifically the targeted advertising of menthol cigarettes, is an obstacle to the right to health of African Americans. The goal of this report is to encourage the ICERD committee to demand that the U.S. government take action to protect African Americans from the harms of menthol.
“By continuing to allow the sale of menthol cigarettes, the District of Columbia is failing to protect the health of African Americans,” said DC Tobacco Free Coalition Chair Liz Furgurson. “Many other cities, states and countries have removed menthol – we can as well.”
The District of Columbia Tobacco Free Coalition is an alliance of Washington, DC organizations and individual partners with a mission to improve the health of the District of Columbia residents by decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with tobacco use and exposure through education, public policy, and advocacy using culturally and linguistically competent approaches.
