AATCLC MAY NEWSLETTER

MESSAGE FROM OUR CO-CHAIRS

This has been an exciting time in the fight for Black health in America!

On April 25, the LA Times released an investigation with their partner the Bureau of Investigative Journalism on how Big Tobacco used George Floyd and Eric Garner to stoke fear among Black smokers.

Then on April 28, after more than a decade of inaction and an administrative lawsuit brought by the AATCLC and our partners Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the American Medical Association, and the National Medical Association, the FDA announced that they are finally taking concrete action towards a proposed national ban on menthol flavored cigarettes and flavored cigars.  

We are now closer than ever to ending the sale of the products the tobacco industry has used for decades to hook and kill Black Americans. 

Want to learn more about the harm menthol flavored cigarettes have caused the Black community? 

Join us on the birthday of Malcolm X for a virtual event with an all star panel of researchers to discuss "The Consequences of a Match Made in Hell".

You can sign up by clicking on the event flyer below. 

This is an event you don't want to miss! We look forward to seeing you on May 19.

-Carol, Phil and Valerie

WHAT'S GOING ON

FEDERAL ADVOCACY ROUNDUP

FDA Proposes Ban on Menthol Flavored Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars

On April 28, The Food and Drug Administration proposed banning menthol cigarettes, a significant step praised by leading health and civil rights groups including AATCLC. The FDA also proposed prohibiting flavors in cigars, including small ones called cigarillos that are popular with teenagers.

Click here to read the joint statement with our lawsuit partners.

Watch AATCLC's Carol McGruder on the PBS Newshour discussing the FDA's landmark action:

A new poll released on May 4 by Morning Consult and Politico shows that the FDA's proposed action to finally end the sale of menthol flavored cigarettes is widely popular among all Americans.

STATE AND LOCAL ADVOCACY ROUNDUP

​​Legislation ending the sale of menthol flavored cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes passed the Colorado State House of Representatives

On May 4, the Colorado State House of Representatives passed House Bill 1064 on a 35-27 vote which would end the sale of menthol flavored cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes starting in 2024. 

The bill would also appropriate $10 million to the State Department of Public Health and Environment’s Prevention Services Division, which would award two-year grants to organizations providing wraparound services in communities disproportionately affected by targeted tobacco and nicotine marketing.

The bill now heads to the Colorado State Senate. 

San Diego City Council takes the first vote to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products

On April 25, The San Diego City Council voted 7-2 to pass the Stop Adolescent Addiction to Flavored E-Cigarettes Act. The vote comes after months of advocacy by the AATCLC and our local and national partners.

If the bill passes on its second reading and is signed into law by the mayor, it will take effect on January 1, 2023.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Finishing the Fight works to raise awareness on the social justice issues behind menthol cigarettes, little cigars, cigarillos, blunt wrappers, and all other flavored tobacco products. We host informational programs, distribute educational materials, participate in community events, engage with decision-makers and other stakeholders, and advocate for policy-based solutions that will promote health equity in communities across the state of California and around the country.

Meet the CEAA Awardees

Exonerated Nation was founded by an exoneree on a mission to establish and provide the resources that he never had access to when he was released after spending 17 years in prison. We are here to heal and support each other as we transition from life in prison to following our deferred dreams.

Learn more at www.exoneratednation.org.



Community Intelligence empowers organizations to create conditions that promote health, prevent disease & reduce disparities.

Learn more at www.communityintelligence.org.



New CEAA Funding Available

We have another round of Community Engagement Activity Award (CEAA) funding available for African American/African Immigrant community-based organizations across the state of California.

Please complete the application form by May 25, 2022.



Walking to Live Celebrating Life 2022

When: Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 8:30 am - 1:00 pm

Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline starting at the Kingfisher site, Oakland, CA 94621. Entrance on Swan Way

Donation: $30.00.

Please contact Jackie regarding vendor space at (510) 394-5447

Tell The US Government: Stop Using Rubber Black Men As Shooting Targets

Watch the video as the San Francisco Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips shares the story of Tracy Brown, an Oakland-based artist who turned a commercially marketed dummy into an installation piece memorializing Black Americans killed by police.

Click here to sign the petition. 

AMPLIFY! provides culturally relevant expert support and tailored assistance to tobacco control programs, non-traditional partners and the greater community. We are working to engage the African American/African Immigrant communities in our movement.



Our History, Our Stories