Targeted Communities
Tobacco companies continue to aggressively market menthol-flavored cigarettes to kids, communities of color and LGBTQ+ folks, as they have for decades. Youth smokers are more likely to use menthol cigarettes than any other age group. Menthol cigarettes pose a tremendous public health threat — they make it easier to start and harder to quit.
A Youth Epidemic
Flavored products, especially Juul, fueled a youth e-cigarette epidemic over the past decade. Today, over 2.5 million kids nationally use e-cigarettes. In San Diego, 8% of 11th grade students have used an e-cigarette in the last 30 days. Kids are not just experimenting, but becoming addicted to these sweet, nicotine-loaded products. Many e-cigarettes can contain as much or more nicotine as a pack of 20 cigarettes.
