In November 2019, Massachusetts became the first state to pass a law to stop the sale of ALL flavored tobacco products in stores, including all menthol, mint, and wintergreen products as well as flavored e-cigarettes. An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control is a public health win against the years that tobacco and vaping companies spent heavily marketing menthol products to Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ Americans. Today, Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ smokers are disproportionately more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes than the rest of the smoker population, with 85% of African American smokers using menthol cigarettes.

In the months leading up to this bill’s passage, the Fight All Flavors campaign worked to build grassroots understanding and support for the proposed flavor ban with a focus on building youth leadership and calling out the tobacco industry’s explicit targeting of menthol in communities of color. Our network of community-based organizations, youth advocates, public health and health care partners educated, motivated, and activated community members to make sure the flavored tobacco ban included mint, menthol, and wintergreen.

In spring 2020, No Menthol. Know Why. is continuing the work of mobilizing the communities most impacted by the new law. Before the new law goes into effect on June 1st, we are raising awareness among menthol smokers and their support networks about the flavored tobacco products that will no longer be available, quit resources, and why including menthol in the statewide ban on flavored tobacco is critical for advancing health equity.