For the better part of his life, Damone Presley was overwhelmed with tobacco ads plastered on storefronts and convenience stores throughout the Twin Cities. He started with retro candy cigarettes and eventually chose menthols.
“The cigarette of my choice, which is predominantly used by the community of color, is Newports,” Presley said. “Growing up, I remember advertising was everywhere. It was within our community. They did a lot of promotions like ‘buy one, get one.’”
Presley, now a peer recovery specialist and certified nicotine specialist with Twin Cities Recovery Inc., helps others quit smoking. He remembers receiving $2-off coupons on his Cub grocery receipt like it was yesterday.
Tobacco giants like R.J. Reynolds, the maker of Newport cigarettes, pivoted towards Black consumers after the U.S. Surgeon General restricted advertising to young people in 1965. “I began to have these conversations with the community, and it was embedded in my thinking process about tobacco,” Presley recalled. “It was in our magazines, newspapers, postal listings, and commercials.”
The targeting of Black consumers by tobacco companies, particularly through menthol ads, is considered one of the deadliest ad campaigns in history. According to the CDC, 81% of Black adults smoke menthols, compared to just 34% of white adults. Menthol cigarettes contain additives like ammonia compounds, sugars, and menthol itself that make it harder for smokers to quit; and they are particularly popular among Black youth.
“It was like a roll of decks when you flip it or the dominoes flip over, it was a continuation. And so when I began to smoke, it was already not something I just did,” Presley said. “It became a natural act.”
Tobacco companies have historically exploited Black communities by partnering with organizations like the NAACP and Congressional Black Caucus to market their products in exchange for financial support, prioritizing profit over social justice. Similarly, Juul worked with Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in 2018, offering a $7 million project to improve its image amid a youth vaping crisis and lobbying President Biden to reverse a menthol cigarette ban.
Juul’s strategy also involved paying Black newspapers to promote their products as a healthier alternative, leading critics to argue that the company’s tactics mirror those of Big Tobacco in using Black leaders and media to push its agenda.
The Twin Cities Recovery Project has made significant progress, including a 30% reduction in tobacco storefront signage in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The organization works closely with city council members to pass ordinances addressing tobacco marketing practices that target young Black consumers.
“I began to start to educate our young people, as the years went by, with [the targeted intention of] the flavor products,” Presley said. “The flavored products that the tobacco industry was putting into the communities had names like Coco, strawberry, vanilla, Fruit Loops, and all the things that kids, young people like,” Presley said
Minneapolis raised the minimum price of cigarettes to $15 per pack and now permits the sale of menthol and vape products only at smoke shops. However, some gas stations and convenience stores bypass this regulation by setting up separate business entities that create smoke shops above stores prohibited from selling menthols and vapes.
At a city council meeting last spring, Councilmember LaTrisha Veetaw, along with Twin Cities Recovery, called for higher cigarette prices after St. Paul’s minimum price proved insufficient to encourage smokers to quit.
“Our neighbors in St. Paul did raise the minimum pack price to $10 and found that was gravely insufficient, given inflation, to cause any change in smoking,” said Evalyn Carbrey, senior public health specialist at the Minneapolis Health Department.
Councilmember Robin Wonsley expressed concerns about aspects of the ordinance, noting, “While I’m appreciative that CM [LaTrisha] Veetaw took on such a significant issue, I am also concerned about some of the aspects of the ordinance and would like to see if there’s space for colleagues to fine-tune it before it’s ultimately passed.”
Wonsley also highlighted concerns about vape products remaining unregulated. “I’ve been in conversation with staff about some of the unintended consequences of regulating cigarettes while leaving e-cigarettes alone. It does feel like we’re signaling that e-cigs are the preferred nicotine choice.”
As Minneapolis debates new tobacco control measures, organizations like Twin Cities Recovery Project remain vigilant against what Carol McGruder, co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, calls “the most pernicious targeting…latching onto culture.” Through a partnership with the Minneapolis Department of Health, the initiative aims to raise awareness about the harmful effects of commercial menthol tobacco on the African American community, while advocating for an end to menthol tobacco sales and the creation of healthy, smoke-free environments.
The work that Damone and his peer recovery specialist partner, Abu As-Sidiq, are doing within this initiative is ongoing. If you are struggling to quit smoking, reach out to them today for valuable resources and support options.
Clint Combs welcomes reader responses to ccombs@spokesman-recorder.com.