ABOUT NO MENTHOL SUNDAY 2023
SUNDAY MAY 21
The Center for Black Health & Equity’s No Menthol Sunday is our annual opportunity for faith communities to address the detrimental impact tobacco has on Black communities. Each year we encourage faith leaders to dedicate this day to educating congregants about smoking, vaping and the role of menthol and other flavors. The pandemic has increased the risk of smoking-related deaths in our communities, but there is so much we can do to focus on victory!
This year’s theme, "Focus on Victory, Go Against the Grain" encourages us to stand up against the tobacco industry and create healthy and just tobacco-free communities.
It’s been two years since the Food & Drug Administration announced the rule-making process to prohibit the sale of tobacco products with any characterizing flavors, like menthol. That is a historic win! As the FDA continues its process, we must continue to uplift one another and advocate for a healthier future.
Just as it was written in Psalm 91:14, "Because he has focused his love on me, I will deliver him."
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
No Menthol Sunday is also an excellent time for people who smoke to begin a new quit journey. Faith communities can commit to creating comfortable, safe spaces for those who struggle with nicotine addiction. Genuine support and an open ear for transparent conversations are very important. Today, we invite tobacco users to seek the necessary resources they need to be successful.
This observance day serves to raise our consciousness about important issues in Black health. When people of faith remain vigilant, educate youth, and inspire community action, we will begin to move toward total health justice. It’s time to lead the way toward a tobacco-free world.
KEY SCRIPTURE
KEY MOTIVATION
QUICK MENTHOL FACTS
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Menthol is a minty flavor that makes it easier to start smoking and harder to quit.
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The menthol issue is a social justice issue.
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The FDA has the power to ban menthol from tobacco products and in April of both 2021 and 2022, committed to issuing a new standard to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and cigars.
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The tobacco industry pays Black leaders to say that an FDA ban on menthol would criminalize African Americans, but this is not true.