Black People who smoke are fond of Menthol in their cigarettes. 3/4 of Black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes, compared to 1/4 of white smokers. When Dave Chappelle asked the question “Why do black people love menthol cigarettes?” on Chappelle Show, during the skit “I Know Black People” the correct answers included “I don’t know”.

With regard to racial preferences, Hymowitz’ 1995 study at the New Jersey Medical School (Menthol cigarette smoking in African Americans and whites) found that, of 473 cigarette smokers participating in a cessation program:

• Menthol was preferred by 79% of black smokers, irrespective of gender. By comparison, 13% of white males and 20% of white females preferred menthol.
• Of those who smoked menthol cigarettes, white smokers had a higher mean daily rate of cigarette consumption: 31/day (male) and 27/day (female). By contrast, African American smokers’ mean daily consumptions were 22/day (male) and 19/day (female).
• Flavor preference was markedly higher among African American smokers: 56% would not smoke a non-menthol cigarette if menthols were unavailable, as opposed to 28% of white participants.

Honestly, we don’t need a study to figure this out. We can visit bodegas, corner stores, and grocery stores in the hood for proof. Newport and Kool are staples in these stores, like bread and milk, because there is a thriving market. You can check the brand name and details on the packs you see Black folks carrying for further proof. These cigarettes have been marketed directly to the Black community for years. Companies even advertise and give away their product in black dance clubs (I’ve seen it here in DC.)

“Back in the 1920s, when mentholated cigarettes were first introduced, their cool, refreshing taste made them popular with folks white and black alike. But Sarah S. Lochlann Jain, an assistant professor of cultural anthropology at Stanford University, suggested that the sensation you get from a menthol cigarette—a rush of cold, a feeling like your lungs are clearing—might have appealed particularly to black people because of its similarity to eucalyptus- or menthol-laced over-the-counter cold medications. Such meds were popular with blacks who, perhaps not surprisingly, had limited access to health care. For a time, in fact, people thought menthols did have medicinal benefits and that they were healthier than regular cigarettes.

Once Big Tobacco saw their product catching fire with this demographic, they began a long-term marketing campaign targeting black consumers. By the 1960s, magazines like Ebony and Jet were packed with cigarette advertisements that featured African-American models and referenced black culture, like Lorillard’s “Newport is a whole new bag of menthol smoking” (after James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”) and R.J. Reynold’s “Different Smokes for Different Folks” (a nod to a Sly Stone hit) campaign for Salem Extra. Some of the ads seemed almost progressive, encouraging the era’s burgeoning black middle class to “Come Up to the Kool Taste,” and promising them that smoking a Kool was “Like riding a Rolls Royce.”

To make further inroads, the tobacco companies loudly supported the Civil Rights Movement and later made regular and significant contributions to organizations like the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.” - Radar Online

Why do Black smokers love menthol? There are various factors and reasons that can be noted here. However, their addiction is profitable for the tobacco companies who are more than willing to provide their popular products without regard for the health of the users.
Photo: Tobacco Free U