fforts to ban sales of menthol commercial tobacco products continue to strengthen. Most people who use tobacco products want to quit; however, those who use menthol-flavored products often experience more difficulty quitting. To provide in-depth information and support on this issue, the New York State Quitline (Quitline) launched a new website at http://nysmokefree.com/menthol.
The Quitline’s new website includes in-depth information about menthol tobacco products and self-paced workshops to help people quit. Due to tobacco industry targeting, some communities of people are more likely to use menthol tobacco products. These include Black or African American individuals, people from the Hispanic or Latinx communities, and those who identify as LGBTQIA2S+. The website provides specific information and support for these communities.
“Menthol sweetens the poison, making it easier to become addicted to commercial tobacco products and harder to quit,” said Dr. Andrew Hyland, director of the New York State Quitline and chair of the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park. “Menthol is not just a flavor; it’s a product cigarette companies market disproportionately to specific communities. Our new website not only helps people understand how to overcome addiction to menthol tobacco products but also educates them about decades of targeting and injustice.”
Roswell Park developed the new menthol website through a grant from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The website includes links to free resources through the New York State Quitline, including connections to a tobacco treatment specialist through phone or online chat, the Learn2QuitNY text messaging support program for quitting tobacco products and online ordering of free nicotine replacement therapy medications. Viewers also can find an FAQ section with accompanying video commentary from Dr. Brian King, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products.
The New York State Quitline encourages all those who live in New York State to not wait for a federal ban to quit menthol tobacco products. Text QUITNOW to 333888 to enroll in Learn2QuitNY, call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487), or visit http://nysmokefree.com any day of the week to get started on a journey to become tobacco-free.
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