Empowering and mobilizing African Americans: A collaborative approach to reducing menthol and flavored tobacco use in Kentucky

Black and African American individuals in the United States are disproportionately targeted by tobacco industry marketing. This marketing has led to the disproportionate use of menthol and other flavored tobacco products among Black and African American individuals. Menthol and other flavored tobacco products are linked to higher adverse health effects than non-flavored tobacco products. Due to this, while rates of tobacco use are similar between Black and African American and White individuals, Black and African American individuals are more likely to experience negative health outcomes from tobacco. The EMPOWER program aims to reduce the use of menthol and other flavored tobacco products among communities of color in Kentucky through the use of innovative and community-centered strategies grounded in best practices. This chapter seeks to explore preliminary findings and present the EMPOWER model as an example of community-centered and culturally responsive programming for reducing the use of menthol and flavored tobacco products among communities of color.