Fenit Nirappil’s comprehensive Washington Post story How Black activists became defenders of Big Tobacco (June 21, 2024) includes the 2018 smoking gun document linking Al Sharpton the African American leader who played a key role in convincing Biden to pull FDA regulations ending menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, as well as other African American and LGBTQ leaders who are supporting the industry.
The document is a proposed from Al Sharpton’s National Action Network for a $7,000,000 “smoking cessation and youth smoking prevention” program to Juul that mirrored Juul’s positions and promoted Juul’s “harm reduction” agenda. The effort focuses on cities and states where there were active public health campaigns against e-cigarettes:
Sharpton’s NAN outlines a comprehensive plan to promote Juul’s agenda:
The budget included $1,500,000 for staffing, including money for Rev. Sharpton (Page 7-8):
Significantly, the article goes beyond Juul. It confirms long-standing suspicions among public health advocates that
Reynolds American, which makes Newport, the nation’s top-selling menthol brand, donated to the National Action Network and to scholarships run by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, and has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations representing Black law enforcement officials and Black newspapers, according to the recipients. Representatives of those groups went on to meet with Biden administration officials to oppose the menthol ban.
And, of course, “Sharpton and Crump have previously said the donations did not influence their position; neither responded to requests for comment.”
The story also details similar efforts — some successful — to co-opt leaders in the LGBTQ community.
The Washington Post also includes an excellent video on the broader issue of how the tobacco companies use Black leaders to fight menthol restrictions:
One would hope that exposing these ties would get Biden to unfreeze the menthol rules.
I’m not holding my breath.
Stanton Glantz blog 