overnight, thanks to JUUL. E-cigarettes have also duped smokers who want to quit into becoming dual users.
For every adult who manages to quit by using an e-cigarette, 81 teens start vaping. And now, with at least 6 recorded deaths related to e-cigarette use, even President Trump has recognized that something isn’t right here. These shocking rates are on the rise among the general population, but e-cigarette use is still relatively low among African-Americans. But we have a feeling that JUUL knows just what to do about that.
The tobacco industry has a long history of using their dollars to develop relationships with Black institutions to buy their silence and increase sales in Black communities. They have a legacy of using flavors including wintergreen, peppermint, and menthol to draw and addict our people. And they have a long history of using their dollars to fight any effort to remove flavors from cigar products most prevalent among African Americans like Swisher Sweets and Black ‘n Mild.
We know enough about their deadly legacy to reject this partnership. Plainly, any association with the number-one killer of African Americans undermines Meharry’s mission to improve minority health. It taints our legacy.
Meharry’s administration has contended that this partnership is a unique opportunity for us to have a