Commentary
OP-ED: Why the New York City Council Proposal to Ban Menthol Cigarettes is Wrong
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Seventy-eight percent of the cigarettes consumed in the Black community are menthol-flavored. As the selling of menthol products become prohibited within Black communities, do we honestly believe that people will stop smoking them? It doesn’t take the brilliance of Albert Einstein to recognize the financial opportunity of smuggling in a new supply of menthol products from another state or country. The perfect smuggling model is already in place that of smuggling lower-taxed cigarettes.” — Major Neill Franklin (Ret.), Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP)
By Major Neill Franklin (Ret.), Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP)
I dedicated 34 years of my life to public safety, enforcing the laws that our legislators placed before me. That’s what cops do, and we trust that those laws are well thought out, studied and based upon sound data and evidence. Later in my career, I realized that this is not always the case, as some of our laws have little to do with sound evidence and are emotionally driven by feel-good politics. That’s why I hung up my badge to advocate for sound public policy as the Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership.
Recently, the emotional tobacco topic has drawn my attention. As cigarette taxes soar, like those from California’s Proposition 56 where taxes rose from 87 cents to $2 per pack, so do black markets that fund criminal gangs and crews. Prior to the passing of Proposition 56, a third of California’s cigarette sales came by way of the black market. Now with a $2 per pack tax, that percentage will certainly increase and the localized banning of menthol-flavored cigarettes will help to drive this number even higher.
The raising of taxes and banning of menthol-flavored smokes begins a very dangerous move to the days of alcohol prohibition, when it wasn’t illegal to drink alcohol, but it was criminal to manufacture, transport and sell it. Driven underground, the alcohol industry fueled violent crime and corruption while making very little difference in the consumption of alcohol. As we begin to mirror the days of alcohol prohibition with tobacco bans, expect the violence and corruption that comes with the black market and add something else, the over criminalization of the black community.
Seventy-eight percent of the cigarettes consumed in the Black community are menthol-flavored. As the selling of menthol products become prohibited within Black communities, do we honestly believe that people will stop smoking them? It doesn’t take the brilliance of Albert Einstein to recognize the financial opportunity of smuggling in a new supply of menthol products from another state or country. The perfect smuggling model is already in place that of smuggling lower-taxed cigarettes.
Because of high cigarette taxes in New York City, smuggled cigarettes make up 58% of all cigarette sales and the New York City Sheriff’s Office has created a special taskforce to fight the unwinnable battle of crushing this smuggling market. As the black market expands in California, expect a similar enforcement action by California law enforcement. Their orders will be to arrest the smugglers and eliminate the black market. Will it be carried out in affluent California, or will war be waged in poor Black communities?
I was once on the front lines of a similar war where the Black community caught the brunt of enforcement. We know it as the failed war on drugs. Will this be a third attempt of the twice-failed public policy of prohibition, or will we defeat the harms of tobacco consumption with the proven methods of education and treatment? I vote for the latter.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST
Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST
Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST
Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?
Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.
STREAMED LIVE!
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PostNewsGroup
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/blackpressusatv
X: twitter.com/blackpressusa
-
Alameda County4 weeks ago
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price Announces $7.5 Million Settlement Agreement with Walmart
-
Activism3 weeks ago
‘Jim Crow Was and Remains Real in Alameda County (and) It Is What We Are Challenging and Trying to Fix Every Day,’ Says D.A. Pamela Price
-
Bay Area4 weeks ago
In the City Attorney Race, Ryan Richardson Is Better for Oakland
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024
-
Alameda County3 weeks ago
D.A. Price Charges Coliseum Flea Market Vendors in Organized Retail Theft Case
-
Activism3 weeks ago
‘Criminal Justice Reform Is the Signature Civil Rights Issue of Our Time,’ says D.A. Pamela Price
-
Activism3 weeks ago
“Two things can be true at once.” An Afro-Latina Voter Weighs in on Identity and Politics
-
Activism2 weeks ago
LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST