June 2013 Health


Group Asks FDA to Snuff Out Menthol Cigarettes


BY FREDERICK H. LOWE May 31 was "World No Tobacco


Day," and the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council used the day to urge the Food and Drug Administration to ban menthol in tobacco products, arguing that menthol masks the harsh taste of tobacco, encouraging more African Americans to smoke and to smoke more.


The council, which is based in


Oakland, Calif., also urged supporters to sign a 42-page online petition, calling for a ban on menthol, which was presented in April to the FDA.


"This is the most important health


issue of our time," Carol McGruder, co-chair of the council, said during a news conference on Thursday. "Menthol covers up the harsh taste of tobacco, giving the cigarette a pleasant taste."


Because of its taste, menthol


is known as a starter ingredient that enhances the popularity of cigarettes, especially among young and beginner smokers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 19.4 percent of the black population smoke, and 82.6 percent of them smoke menthol cigarettes.


People who smoke menthol


cigarettes can inhale the smoke longer, which may explain the high rates of lung cancer deaths, according to the research study, "Demographics of Smoking."


Lung cancer is the leading cause


of cancer deaths among both African- American men and African-American women, according to the American Cancer Society.


In 2009, the FDA banned specific


flavorings in cigarettes including strawberry, grape, orange, cinnamon, vanilla and coffee as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, but menthol escaped


banishment in the United States. Brazil banned menthol cigarettes, using U.S. data, McGruder said.


Dr. Phillip S. Gardiner, the


co-chair's council, said cigarette manufacturers have targeted African Americans with predatory marketing. This includes placing more signs in the black community advertising brands of menthol cigarettes. The signs are also larger in the black community, and they are positioned close to schools, Gardiner said. In addition, cigarette manufacturers sell their products at a lower price in the black community.


"In the white community, a person


can buy one pack of cigarettes and get one pack free," he said. "In the black community, a person can buy one pack and get two packs free."


In a 2002 research paper, “The


African Americanization of menthol cigarette use in the United States," Gardiner wrote that the cigarette industry has successfully promoted among African Americans the belief that menthol cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes. The companies also donated money to civil-rights organizations, which encouraged the groups to support their brands. The leading menthol brands are Newport, Marlboro Menthol and Benson and Hedges.


"Menthol cigarettes are a growth


area for the cigarette industry," Gardiner said. "People aren't smoking a pack a day like they used to, but the proportion of menthol-cigarette smoking is increasing."


World No Tobacco Day, which


is organized by the World Health Organization, highlights the risks associated with tobacco use and advocates for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.


The African American Tobacco


Control Leadership Council can be found on the web at SavingBlackLives. org.


c Flavor


46th Hampton Jazz Festival Hampton Roads x Music ● A rt ● B usiness ● Food ● C ultur e Calling All.... Bands, Choirs, Performers, Visual Artists, Models & Vendors


If you believe you represent the "Flavor of Hampton Roads" and are interested in presenting your talent on June 28 - 30, 2013, send an email to info@TheFlavorofAmerica.com.


June 28 - June 30, 2013 Small Business FROM PAGE 1


the Thinking Big Conference. People are realizing that their jobs are not nearly as secure as their parents’ jobs were decades ago. In the ever changing economy, sometimes investing in yourself, as a business owner, can be a better option when it comes to a sustainable economic future.”


The 2013 Small Businesses


Thinking Big Conference will contain many aspects, including a panel discussion to examine the current business climate in Virginia. This discussion is intended to bring awareness to, not only small business owners and operators, but to supporting organizations as well as the public, about the issues and opportunities small businesses have today. Politicians and community leaders from across Hampton Roads and Virginia have been invited to participate in this discussion, with the objective to again engage everyone on the same page--policy makers, business owners and consumers. Economic Development Departments, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance and other state and local agencies have also been invited to participate in this year’s event.


www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com


The Hampton Roads Messenger


5


Wal-Mart Smacked With $110 Million in Fines for Environmental Crimes


BY BRENTIN MOCK Mega -r e t a i l


company Wal-Mart has plead guilty for Clean Water Act violations that involved


years


of illegally and improperly handling hazardous liquids and pesticides in California Missouri.


and The


company is on the hook for $81.6 million in criminal environmental fines for violating federal laws and another $30 million to resolve state environmental law violations.


Documents from the U.S. District


Court in San Francisco say that “from a date unknown until January 2006, Wal-Mart did not have a program in place and failed to train its employees on proper hazardous waste management and disposal practices at the store level. As a result, hazardous wastes were either discarded improperly at the store level - including being put into municipal trash bins or, if a liquid, poured into the local sewer system - or they were improperly transported without proper safety documentation to one of six product return centers located throughout the United States.”


In Missouri, Wal-Mart employees


improperly handled pesticides that customers had returned. “Truckloads of hazardous products, including more than 2 million pounds of pesticides, were improperly handled under Wal-Mart’s contract,” said Tammy Dickinson, U.S. Attorney for Western District of Missouri.


In 2006, Wal-Mart began sending


certain damaged household products, including regulated solid and liquid


pesticides, from its six return centers to Greenleaf LLC, a recycling facility located in Neosho, Mo., where the products were processed for reuse and resale. Because Wal-Mart employees failed to provide adequate oversight of the pesticides sent to Greenleaf, regulated pesticides were mixed together and offered for sale to customers without the required registration, ingredients, or use information, which constitutes a violation of Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA.


For all of these violations,


Wal-Mart will pay roughly $110 million in criminal fines, at least $20 million of which will go to community service projects and programs to train people on how to legally handle hazardous waste. Their plea agreement includes requirements to ensure adequate environmental personnel and training at all levels of the company, proper identification and management of hazardous wastes, and the development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems at its stores and return centers. Compliance with this agreement is a condition of probation imposed in the criminal cases.


Registration for the conference


includes a ticket to the 2013 Community Development Awards Reception, which will begin at 4:00 p.m. Each year, small businesses receive Community Development Awards for their support of the Hampton Roads region, and its economy. Each of the seven major cities in Hampton Roads nominates a small business through their economic development department. Corporations that are making a difference in the economy, as well as the community, receive Community Reinvestment Awards.


Again this year there will be a


“Win $500 in 5 minutes or less” elevator style pitch contest where anyone can pitch up to a 5-minute internet/ software business idea, along with a written business plan. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize, and be given the opportunity to pitch their idea at a later date for a chance to receive more funding to bring their idea to market.


To find out more about this event,


or to register, visit ThinkBigHR. eventbrite.com. The fee to register is $29. For more information on how to participate as a vendor or sponsor, email organizers at thinkbighamptonroads@ gmail.com. This event is sponsored in part by Wells Fargo, the Hampton Roads Messenger, TowneBank, and the City of Hampton.


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