Let's Talk Menthol Some More...

A response to this

You're going to see all sorts of arguments for a menthol ban. When you see them, ask this question: Does the (probably white) speaker appear to have made any effort to listen to or understand the experiences of the people who will be most affected by this ban?

If their argument only has a kindergarten-level understanding of the carceral consequences (thanks @NiggaTheory) of banning a product predominantly used by POC on those communities of color, then move on. It's not worth your time.

Don't debate people who are incapable of acknowledging the lived experiences of others. I have nothing against folks who want to reduce the deaths related to combustible tobacco, but if you're here to just ignore the very real and legitimate issues facing POC, I'm not interested.

Here are some of the arguments you'll be seeing: The FDA doesn't arrest people, and this ban doesn't criminalize possession/usage. The FDA (or in this case ATF) didn't kill Eric Garner – local police did. The Secret Service didn't kill George Floyd – local police did.

No one is arguing the FDA is going to start arresting people – that's a strawman argument.

What orgs like @ACLU are arguing is that banning a formerly legal product predominantly used by POC will create more opportunities for police interactions with POC, which comes with inherently higher risks of lethal consequences.

Another argument you'll see: That you shouldn't listen to Black leaders and organizations opposed to the ban because they're being paid by tobacco companies. Invalidating Black voices, for one reason or another, is not a new tactic in the effort to implement racist policies.

It's an old tactic, and it's tired. To suggest that Black leaders would abandon the best interests of their communities simply for money is repulsive.

To suggest that Black organizations don't know how best to help their communities, or aren't capable of having a nuanced approach to issues, or that opposing the ban means opposing reducing smoking is absurd.

When you see these arguments ask yourself: How can ban supporters bury their heads in the sand and refuse to see that unintended consequences are not "different problems that also need addressing," they are the real problems that will be directly inflamed by this ban.

Are tobacco controllers and public health so consumed with defeating tobacco companies, that they completely lose sight of the real people and families who are put at risk by their actions? The very people they claim to be saving?