Mom’s death still haunts me
Like many Black kids of the 1970s, my mom, Kathy Jean, was introduced to smoking cigarettes through targeted advertisements in her neighborhood and a middle school boyfriend. They killed her shortly after her 61st birthday.
My mom could go years without picking up a cigarette, but one stressful workday was enough to relapse. Up until her death, there were varying degrees of begging, fighting, pleading, gums, patches, medication, support groups and more. Nothing stuck.
While my mom fell victim to the menthol movement, that is, using menthol flavoring to initiate nicotine addiction, she wasn’t the only one.
Nearly 9 in 10 Black youth ages 12 and older who smoke use menthol cigarettes, along with 85% all Black smokers. Higher amounts of menthol flavor make cigarettes taste less harsh, appealing to new smokers and young people.
I had spent 25 years willing her – imploring her – to quit.
One desperate daughter’s efforts will never be enough. I am haunted by knowing how smoking leads to an early, yet slow, death. It’s time for nicotine addiction to receive the same attention as its illegal counterparts. Systemic reform is necessary.
Legislation to lift the tobacco purchase age from 18 to 21 sparked a movement to ban flavored tobacco including menthols. This initiative needs traction, funding, and commitment.
Because while my mom never stopped smoking, she never stopped trying to quit either – and our policies should not quit on Black women like her.
Hope A. Lane-gavin, The Center for Community Solutions, Fellow, Health Equity