How they Spend their Money
Tobacco companies frequently give money to support African American music, sports, theater, dance, art shows and educational institutions and programs. The industry has donated millions to the National Urban League, The Congressional Black Caucus and given generous sums to the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund and the National Caucus of Black State Legislators.

These donations are recognized at the events either with bold product advertisements or more subtle mentions in programs or catalog notes. However, the amount of money donated to these causes is outdistanced by the amount of money made from selling cigarettes to African Americans.

According to the CDC’s Pathways to Freedom: Winning the Fight Against Tobacco booklet, “the money that African American smokers spend on cigarettes in a single day could send more than 2,500 Black students to college for an entire year”.

Marketing Directly to You
Many tobacco companies also try to reach African Americans in not so subtle ways. According to the Surgeon General’s 1998 Report on “Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups” tobacco companies place a higher proportion of billboards in African American neighborhoods and use “cultural values and symbols valued by members of racial/ethnic groups to promote tobacco products”.

Tobacco companies also market their products to African Americans through magazines. In fact, a one-year study found that three major African-American publications – Ebony, Jet and Essence – received proportionally higher profits from cigarette advertisements than other magazines.

Other studies have found more cigarette ads in African-American magazines (like Ebony and Jet) than in similar mainstream magazines, such as Time and People. “Contrary to how blacks are typically portrayed in the media,” says a fact sheet from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, “cigarette ads portray images of African Americans who are happy, confident, successful and wealthy, in love, attractive, strong and independent”.

Cigarette of Choice
Over 75 percent of African smokers smoke menthol cigarettes compared to 23 percent of white smokers, a fact that is not lost on the tobacco industry. In fact, tobacco companies specifically market menthol cigarettes to the African American population. Nearly 66 percent of cigarette advertisements in African American magazines are for menthol cigarettes. This should be a concern for African Americans.

According to The American Health Foundation, “Research has shown that smokers of low and medium nicotine menthol cigarettes have as much as three times the exposure to toxic and cancer-inducing agents as smokers of non-menthol cigarettes with comparable nicotine content.”

And according to a fact sheet published by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, “Mentholated cigarettes may increase the risk of both lung and bronchial cancer more than regular cigarettes”.

Be Aware
Clearly, the tobacco industry is marketing its products to the African American community by tuning into its preferences and using that information to reach out to its members. As with all advertising, consumers should be aware of the real message behind the ads – in this case, selling cigarettes to whoever can be influenced to buy them.

This is information is published as a resource only. The information is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care providers. Please consult your health care providers for advice about a specific medical condition.