Our new position statement describes how appealing flavors and cooling additives like menthol increase initiation of nicotine use, make cessation harder, and disproportionately harm people of color and LGBTQ people.

The statement also outlines 3 critical components of an equitable and effective policy to prohibit flavored tobacco:

1. All flavors, including menthol.
2. All nicotine and tobacco products.
3. Enforcement on tobacco businesses, not individuals.

Washington Breathes creates position statements that are aligned with Our Vision and Mission to help inform policy discussions. This position statement was developed by our Policy Workgroup and approved by our Steering Committee.

Eliminate Flavored Products has more information about the impacts of flavored tobacco and policy solutions.

Find more of the coalition's position statements and issue fact sheets on our Policy Statements page.

In Washington State, 28% of adults with poor mental health smoke (WA DOH), compared to about 11% smoking in the overall population. The tobacco industry has played a role in these higher use rates with tactics like providing free cigarettes to behavioral health facilities and perpetuating myths that smoking is helpful for patients.

The solution is providing evidence-based nicotine cessation treatments. People with behavioral health conditions want to quit tobacco at the same rates as the general population. Quitting addictive nicotine helps decrease anxiety, depression, and stress.

Mental health is yet another reason why providing supportive services to young people who are vaping or smoking is so important. WA state data from the Healthy Youth Survey found that 58% of youth who smoke and 54% of youth who vape reported depression symptoms compared to 34% among youth who do not use commercial tobacco. (2018 WA HYS data)

Learn more about youth commercial tobacco use as a Red Flag for Supports.

WA State Department of Health Fact Sheet: Understanding tobacco use and behavioral health.

Learn more about Addressing Disparities in commercial tobacco use.

BHthechange.org website of the National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco & Cancer Control.

In late April 2024, Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra announced an indefinite delay on issuing FDA's proposed rules to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, citing the need for "more conversations". A wide array of health and social justice organizations are dismayed by this delay and vow continued actions to save lives.

Ending the sale of menthol cigarettes in the U.S. could prevent more than 650,000 deaths, including over 250,000 Black lives.

The tobacco industry and industry-funded organizations lobbied for the White House for this delay. They raised familiar, but unfounded, claims that a menthol cigarette ban would result in police targeting of smokers who are Black. That's false: enforcement of a sales ban would be on manufacturers, distributors, and retailers - not on individuals. Unproven political concerns were also raised about impacts on President Biden’s re-election.

Inaction at the federal level highlights the need for more state and local regulations - learn more: Policies Ending the Sale of Flavored Tobacco.

Learn more about saving Black lives by taking on Big Tobacco African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council

Press Statement: NAACP Condemns White House on Abandoning Menthol Ban

FDA fact sheet on proposed rules

Check out our Menthol & Nicotine Cessation fact sheet