Menthol Matters: A Snapshot of Community Perspectives on Tobacco Harm

Survey Design & Research Services

Purpose

In 2023, Stan Martin Consulting (SMC), the Tobacco Action Group, and other anti-tobacco advocates mobilized around banning the sale of menthol tobacco in Buffalo, NY, but lacked data on community perspectives regarding a ban. Through funding from The Center for Black Health & Equity, SMC engaged LifeSpring as a research partner to lead the development of community surveys that would gauge the community’s stance on a ban and its perceived impacts.

Approach

LifeSpring guided SMC through determining research objectives and designing questions that would map to each objective. The final objectives of the communithy survey were to identify menthol tobacco use, identify perceptions of tobacco’s effects, identify knowledge gaps, and gauge level of support for a menthol ban. The survey design was informed by a review of relevant research studies already conducted on menthol tobacco perceptions.

Results

Community members want to mitigate menthol’s impact on the Black community; however, residents also want to be in control of their own destiny and require more reassurance that a menthol ban is in the community’s best interest. Anti-tobacco advocates will use the results to inform their organizing strategy, create more opportunities for information sharing, secure more funding for community outreach activities, and present evidence of community support when advocating for the menthol ban.

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