Menthol Tobacco
As we look forward to the 2023 legislative session, we are hopeful we’ll see funding for tobacco use prevention and cessation move forward as well as legislation that would remove all flavored tobacco products from the market—including menthol. You know the statistics. You have seen the chronic illness caused by commercial tobacco use. How do we keep moving this forward? How do we keep the focus on essential funding? Dr. Alex Feng, TCMS member, and LaTrisha Vetaw, former Health Policy and Advocacy Manager at NorthPoint and current Minneapolis City Council member, share their WHY for advocating for tobacco prevention.
Prevention & Physician Advocacy are the Keys
to Taking on Menthol Tobacco
Join ABH member Dr. Alex Feng and LaTrisha Vetaw, community advocate and former NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center staff, as they discuss the adverse effects of menthol tobacco on many populations, specifically the Black community and youth. Menthol tobacco is a sneaky tactic by the tobacco industry to mask the harmful effects of nicotine and tobacco. Though menthol tobacco may taste better, is it still as harmful as a regular cigarette. Now is the time to raise our voices to keep lungs healthy. Through grassroots advocacy, contacting your Minnesota legislators, and sharing your personal stories about menthol tobacco, we can move the needle and prevent more lives from being harmed by tobacco. Funding for tobacco prevention is key for this generation and future generations.
Alex Feng, MD, MBA: Why Physicians Should Advocate for Prevention and Treatment
For Dr. Alex Feng, tobacco prevention is a personal and professional passion. His father was a smoker, and as he says, “tobacco is such low hanging fruit.” As a physician, he has seen the detrimental effects of smoking and menthol tobacco. Dr. Feng reminds us that as community members, we all hold power to sway policy and advocate for what matters, including tobacco use prevention and cessation.
LaTrisha Vetaw: “The time is now,” to Address Menthol Tobacco
Commercial tobacco addiction is about more than health detriments. It has socioeconomic impacts that deepen the inequities that already exist. Focusing on tobacco use prevention and cessation starts to unravel one of the threads of food security, homelessness, and racial justice. As Latrisha Vetaw explains, we must tackle tobacco addiction when we address these other issues to make progress.