Ollie Ganz, Kymberle L Sterling, Charity Ntansah, Marisa Tomaino, Olivia A Wackowski, Aila Altunbilek, Jeannie Garmon, Amanda Johnson, Craig S Fryer, Andrea C Villanti
Findings support the opportunity to develop messages for Black adults on potential positive impacts of menthol cigarette and flavored cigar bans, which in turn may impact policy support. Findings also highlight the need to address disinformation regarding the impact of these policies on Black individuals rather than on the manufacture, distribution, and sales of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to identify knowledge and beliefs held by Black adults that are associated with strongly favoring proposed menthol cigarette and flavored cigar bans in the United States.
METHODS: Eight hundred twenty-three US non-Hispanic Black adults (aged 18+) were surveyed in June 2024 through a nationally representative panel, oversampling people who currently smoke cigarettes. Participants completed items related to beliefs about and support for menthol cigarette and flavored cigar bans. Weighted bivariate analyses followed Hornik's approach to message planning strategies, assessing the proportion of participants holding each belief, the relationship between each belief and policy support, and "percentage to gain" (ie, intention to support the bans if a perfectly effective campaign moved everyone to strongly agree with a belief).
RESULTS: Approximately 40% of respondents strongly favored menthol cigarette and flavored cigar bans. Seven beliefs had the largest potential percentage to gain (>30%) for building policy support, pertaining to: focus of the proposed policies on tobacco companies and retailers versus individuals, positive impacts of the proposed bans, addressing concerns that bans would do more harm than good in Black communities, and adult choice.
CONCLUSION: Findings support the opportunity to develop messages for Black adults on potential positive impacts of menthol cigarette and flavored cigar bans, which in turn may impact policy support. Findings also highlight the need to address disinformation regarding the impact of these policies on Black individuals rather than on the manufacture, distribution, and sales of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
IMPLICATIONS: This study identified several beliefs that have the potential to influence policy support for bans on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. Findings from this study support the opportunity to message to Black adults on potential positive impacts of menthol cigarette and flavored cigar bans and to correct misperceptions about the bans, and that changing these beliefs may impact support for these policies.