Arizona Tobacco Free Futures

Arizona Tobacco Free Futures

Funded via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Menthol Equity Grant, we seek to advance health equity through strategic partnerships and community engagement by addressing disparities caused by menthol and other flavored tobacco product marketing and use. These efforts are focused on Maricopa County, Arizona, and aim to increase awareness through education and community involvement. We plan to lay the groundwork for future local and state policy changes regarding tobacco control and cessation efforts.

tobacco control and cessation

Goals

Promote and support social, economic and community change.

Inform the public, community leaders, supporters and decisionmakers on the policy, systems and environmental changes that can prevent and reduce menthol tobacco use.

Implement culturally appropriate interventions tailored for community needs.

Use research, surveillance, and evaluation to measure progress and public health action.

Arizona Tobacco Free Futures Coalition

Welcome to the Arizona Tobacco Free Futures Coalition! We are a group of individuals and organizations committed to creating a healthier and tobacco-free future for Arizona.

Our Mission:

Our mission is to reduce the impact of tobacco use on Arizona communities through education, cessation and policy change. We believe that everyone deserves to lead a healthy life and have access to resources that support tobacco-free lifestyles.

What We Do:

Education and Awareness: We provide educational resources and conduct awareness campaigns to inform the public about the dangers of tobacco use and the benefits of living tobacco-free. Our goal is to empower people to make informed decisions about their health.

Community Engagement:

We engage with communities across Maricopa County to promote tobacco-free environments in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. Through partnerships and outreach programs, we foster a culture of health and well-being.

Join Us:

Join us in our mission to create a tobacco-free future for Arizona! Whether you're an individual, organization, or business, there are many ways to get involved:

  • Volunteer your time and skills to support our efforts.
  • Become a member and participate in community work.
  • Spread the word about the importance of tobacco prevention and cessation.

Together, we can build a healthier, smoke-free Arizona for generations to come.

For more information

Contact Hayley Chicoine
Flavors

How Tobacco Companies Use Menthol to Target Communities 

Tobacco companies aggressively market menthol-flavored cigarettes to Black Americans, Hispanic Americans and other people living in communities of color, as they’ve done for decades.

  • In the 1950s, only 5% of Black people who smoked use menthol. After four generations of industry targeting, almost 90% of Black people who smoke use menthols. 2
  • A 2017 nationwide study found that stores in neighborhoods where most residents were Black had more than double the odds of advertising price promotions for tobacco products compared to stores in neighborhoods with a lower number of Black residents. 1

Flavored Tobacco

Menthol makes cigarettes and vapes easier to smoke because this flavor provides a cooling effect in the back of the throat, reduces the harshness of cigarette smoke, and suppresses coughing. The menthol additive also makes these products harder to quit because menthol’s cool flavor makes it easier for people who smoke to inhale more deeply, leading to a higher nicotine dose and potentially stronger addiction.

  • In 2019, more than 4 million middle and high school students in the U.S. used a flavored tobacco product in the last 30 days. 6
  • Flavored tobacco product use is higher in younger adults than older adults. In fact, more than 70% of young adults who use tobacco report flavored tobacco use, compared to about 30% of adults over age 65. 6

Tobacco Use in Arizona

  • The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimated smoking related health care cost in Arizona nearly $2.76 billion per year.7
  • In 2017, about 5% of adults in Arizona used e-cigarettes and nearly 3% of adults in Arizona used smokeless tobacco.7
  • In 2019, 17.9% of high school students in Arizona used electronic vapor products on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 32.7%.7
Resources graph

Cessation Resources:

State Resources:
Additional Resource Links

References:

How Tobacco Companies Use Menthol to Target Communities

  1. Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids. Marketing Menthol: The History of Tobacco Industry Targeting of African Americans. 2024. 0400.pdf (tobaccofreekids.org).
  2. American Heart Association. The Truth About How Menthol Harms the Black Community. 2021. Infographic_Truth_About_Menthol.pdf (clevelandendstargeting.org)
  3. Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Stopping Menthol, Saving Lives: Ending Big Tobacco’s Predatory Marketing to Black Communities. 2021. 2021_02_tfk-menthol-report.pdf (tobaccofreekids.org)

Flavored Tobacco

  1. Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Flavored E-Cigarettes Hook Kids. 2024. 0407.pdf (tobaccofreekids.org)
  2. Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Flavored Tobacco Products Attract Kids. 2024. 0383.pdf (tobaccofreekids.org)
  3. Truth Initiative. Flavored Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults. 2021. Flavored tobacco use among youth and young adults (truthinitiative.org)

Tobacco Use in Arizona

  1. Truth Initiative. Tobacco Use in Arizona 2021. Tobacco use in Arizona 2021 (truthinitiative.org)
  2. American Lung Association. Arizona Highlights. Arizona Highlights | State of Tobacco Control | American Lung Association
  3. Arizona Department of Health Services. Tobacco Free Arizona. ADHS - Tobacco Free Arizona - Home (azdhs.gov)
  4. Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids. The Toll of Tobacco in Arizona. 2024. The Toll of Tobacco in Arizona - Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (tobaccofreekids.org)