The Speaker

A resident Queens, New York, Sgt. Miranda is the Chairman and founder of the National Latino Officers Association (NLOA). A civil rights and community advocate for over 25 years, Miranda served as the Chief of Police for ACS, Regional Director of Security for privately run city shelters, and Supervisor in the NYC Police Department for 20 years in various titles and positions. He currently consults and advocates on issues of police reform and law enforcement legislation. Miranda advises and serves on the Boards of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, National Coalition of Justice Practitioners, Grand Council of Guardians, and NLOA Executive Chairman.

The Workshop

Unintended Consequences of Menthol Bans and Prohibitions: Fake News vs The Facts : Wednesday, September 29, 2021 01:30P

Several states and municipalities are proposing to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes. Smoking is bad and tobacco kills in addition to the debilitating effects of nicotine addiction and need to prevent youth from smoking. Prohibitions and flavor bans have been spotlights in the national media. This proposal seems race-neutral. But over 85% of African Americans who choose to smoke prefer menthol cigarettes while most White tobacco consumers prefer unflavored tobacco. To draw up a ban only against products favored by people of color seems not only unjust but also remarkably insensitive. Giving officers even more reason to detain and engage on the basis of a flavored tobacco ban, including menthol, would assuredly lead to encounters that are likely to escalate to the unnecessary use of force, arrests, and possibly deadly force.

This workshop will explore the laudable intent of the public health community to decrease the use of tobacco products by communities of color, address the serious concerns of youth using tobacco products, and how to stem the tide of youth use of e-cigarettes.