Article

Local faith leaders encouraged to join the fight to end the sale of flavored tobacco products in Cleveland

Natasha Takyi-Micah
Treuhaft Fellow for Health Planning
Additional Contributors
No items found.
October 16, 2023
Read time:
Download Fact Sheets
Register now
Share this resource
Subscribe to our Newsletter
By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download this as a PDF

On October 2, 2023, the Campaign to End Tobacco Targeting hosted its second Faith Leaders Luncheon. Located at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, it was a day of advocacy and awareness about the harms of flavored tobacco products (including menthol), how the tobacco industry targeted Black communities and youth, and the call for faith leaders to collaborate with members of the campaign to end the sale of these products in the city. The Campaign to End Tobacco consists of many local organizations such as the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, the American Heart Association, Birthing Beautiful Communities, and the Cleveland Department of Public Health. Sixty-seven individuals attended the luncheon as Rohnesha Horne emceed the event.

Fifty groups already support the ban in Cleveland

James Meerdink, Community Advocacy Director of the American Heart Association, gave a brief overview of the campaign. He stated that over 50 groups are supporting the legislation, but they still need help from faith and youth groups. He also displayed two vaping products (electronic smoking devices), one that resembled an Apple watch and another that was shaped like a football. The tobacco industry makes these items look appealing to youth so they can start to vape. Dr. David Margolius, Director of the Cleveland Department of Public Health, explained how are negatively impacting Clevelanders.  

He listed the following facts:

  • Tobacco is the number one cause of death in Cleveland.
  • The Cleveland smoking rate is three times higher than the United States.
  • As the smoking rate decreased in some cities in the US over the last 20 years (from 20 percent to 11 percent), the smoking rate in Cleveland increased (from 30 percent to 35 percent).
 Tobacco is the number one cause of death in Cleveland.

Following Dr. Margolius, Bishop Tony Minor gave powerful remarks concerning this issue. He described how ending flavored tobacco products is a movement, and like the Montgomery bus boycott, individuals must commit for the long haul. After the viewing of Black Lives/ Black Lungs, Jazmin Long, President and Chief Executive Officer of Birthing Beautiful Communities, explained that smoking affects infants and mothers as smoking is linked to stillbirth and prematurity. “We talk about Cleveland as a world-class city. We can’t be a world-class city with a 35 percent smoking rate,” she stated.

Columbus used data and research to support a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products

Former Mayor of Columbus Michael B. Coleman was the keynote speaker. He gave a motivational and informative speech about becoming tobacco free and his efforts to ban flavored tobacco products in Columbus. Former Mayor Coleman used to be addicted to menthol cigarettes and he recalled how he could not wait to grab free packs of cigarettes. He also described how the tobacco industry targeted the Black community in Jet Magazine through ads and the Kool Jazz Festival in Cincinnati. “With every puff, I was dying,” he stated. After 30 years of addiction, he quit smoking after being admitted to a hospital due to an infection in his throat.  

Furthermore, Former Mayor Coleman gave a brief presentation about a research project he and his colleagues completed to convince community stakeholders to ban flavored tobacco products (including menthol) in Columbus. He presented maps which show the correlation between the retailers who sell the products, number of schools in the city, high concentrations of Black neighborhoods, and high prevalence of diseases because of smoking tobacco products (asthma, heart disease, COPD, diabetes). Many retailers are located within a half of a mile of schools. For example, Columbus North International School had 15 retailers within a half mile. Moreover, in neighborhoods where Black people live in Columbus, there was a higher prevalence of diseases since there are numerous retailers who sell tobacco products in those areas.

 This is us working together to declare that if racism is indeed a public health crisis, and we know that it is, then the proliferation of poison in our communities is definitely part of that declaration.

The call to action

“This is us working together to declare that if racism is indeed a public health crisis, and we know that it is, then the proliferation of poison in our communities is definitely part of that declaration,” said Yvonka Hall, as she shared her remarks with a call to action. As the executive director of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, she urged members of the audience to support the movement by writing letters to the editors, participating in press conferences, and speaking in public hearings. She encouraged audience members to sign postcard pledges, which were placed at each seat and informational materials. To learn more about the campaign, you can find it here. The Center for Community Solutions will continue to follow the progress of this legislation.  

Download Fact Sheets

Ohio Statewide Data

Download

Wood County

Download

Wyandot County

Download

Williams County

Download

Washington County

Download

Vinton County

Download

Wayne County

Download

Warren County

Download

Van Wert County

Download

Union County

Download

Tuscarawas County

Download

Stark County

Download

Summit County

Download

Trumbull County

Download

Shelby County

Download

Seneca County

Download

Scioto County

Download

Ross County

Download

Sandusky County

Download

Richland County

Download

Putnam County

Download

Huron County

Download

Portage County

Download

Preble County

Download

Pike County

Download

Pickaway County

Download

Perry County

Download

Noble County

Download

Paulding County

Download

Ottawa County

Download

Morrow County

Download

Muskingum County

Download

Morgan County

Download

Montgomery County

Download

Meigs County

Download

Monroe County

Download

Miami County

Download

Mercer County

Download

Marion County

Download

Madison County

Download

Medina County

Download

Mahoning County

Download

Lucas County

Download

Lorain County

Download

Logan County

Download

Licking County

Download

Lawrence County

Download

Lake County

Download

Holmes County

Download

Jackson County

Download

Knox County

Download

Jefferson County

Download

Hocking County

Download

Henry County

Download

Highland County

Download

Harrison County

Download

Hancock County

Download

Hardin County

Download

Greene County

Download

Geauga County

Download

Guernsey County

Download

Hamilton County

Download

Gallia County

Download

Fayette County

Download

Fulton County

Download

Franklin County

Download

Fairfield County

Download

Erie County

Download

Darke County

Download

Defiance County

Download

Coshocton County

Download

Delaware County

Download

Cuyahoga County

Download

Crawford County

Download

Columbiana County

Download

Clinton County

Download

Clermont County

Download

Clark County

Download

Champaign County

Download

Carroll County

Download

Athens County

Download

Ashtabula County

Download

Brown County

Download

Butler County

Download

Belmont County

Download

Auglaize County

Download

Ashland County

Download

Allen County

Download

Adams County

Download

Lake County

Download

Geauga County

Download

Cuyahoga County

Download

All Municipalities Geauga County

Download

All Municipalities Lake County

Download

All Municipalities Cuyahoga County

Download

Thompson

Download

South Russell

Download

Russell

Download

Parkman

Download
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download report

Subscribe to our newsletter

5 Things you need to know arrives on Mondays with the latest articles, events, and advocacy developments in Ohio

Explore the fact sheets

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

No Related Fact Sheets

Explore Topics

Browse articles, research, and testimony.

Poverty & Safety Net
Article

A look at the Ohio House-passed version of the state budget

Community Solutions Team
April 28, 2025
Medicaid
Article

What’s at stake in Ohio? Reimagining the new Medicaid

Brandy Davis
April 28, 2025
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

Eighteen health and human service levies in May election

Kyle Thompson
April 28, 2025
Maternal & Infant Health
Article

Infant and early childhood mental health: Bridging gaps and ensuring early intervention

Tamikka James-Haygood
April 28, 2025
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

Connecting with legislators at Policy Advocacy Days

Kyle Thompson
April 21, 2025
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

AIDS Funding Collaborative community briefing at The Centers on April 29th

Julie Patterson
April 21, 2025