The Minty Past and Cloudy Future of Menthol Cigarettes (NPR Podcast)

“In February, NPR’s podcast, Code Switch, produced an episode entitled, The Minty Past and Cloudy Future of Menthol Cigarettes: “In the U.S., flavored cigarettes have been banned since 2009, with one glaring exception: menthols. That exception was supposed to go away in 2023, but the Biden administration quietly delayed the ban on menthols. Why? Well, an estimated 85 percent of Black smokers smoke menthols — and some (potentially suspect) polls have indicated that a ban on menthols would chill Biden’s support among Black people. Of course, it’s more complicated than that. The story of menthol cigarettes is tied up in policing, advertising, influencer culture, and the weaponization of race and gender studies. Oh, and a real-life Black superhero named Mandrake the Magician.” use the link below to listen to the NPR podcast episode from Code Switch, The Minty Past and Cloudy Future of Menthol Cigarette, on the NPR website.

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