From the column: "The evidence that menthol is a serious public health threat is overwhelming. . The FDA’s announcement that it will prohibit menthol flavors in cigarettes and all flavors in cigars was a big step in the right direction."
The Fairness Project, working with Medicaid expansion supporters in South Dakota, says more than 40,000 people would gain healthcare coverage and the state could save tens of millions of dollars thanks to funding in the American Rescue Plan Act.
Chief Executive Officer
Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, Ph.D., is the chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
SM (ACS CAN). As a well-respected cancer leader, researcher, and advocate, Dr. Knudsen guides the organization on our mission to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. She has a strong commitment to ensuring that all people can benefit from the impact of our work.
Prior to joining ACS, Dr. Knudsen served as executive vice president of Oncology Services and enterprise director for Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, one of only 71 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers recognized for their research and impact on cancer outcomes. While at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, Dr. Knudsen experienced firsthand how ACS improves the lives of cancer patients and their families through discovery, advocacy, and patient
Published May 31. 2021 12:01AM
Lisa Lacasse
Tobacco addiction is not a choice. Research shows nearly 70% of people who smoke want to quit and about half of people who smoke make a quit attempt every year. The tobacco industry knows it must keep customers addicted, and companies use insidious approaches to maintain a customer base. Menthol and flavors have played a major role in the addiction equation.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made a crucial step forward when it announced it will begin the process to prohibit menthol flavoring in cigarettes and all flavors in cigars. Once finalized and implemented, this long-overdue action will help reduce youth tobacco initiation, help adults quit and reduce tobacco-related cancers, as well as combat Big Tobacco’s long targeting of Black communities.