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Film Shows Tobacco Industry’s Aggressive Push Into Black Community

This Tuesday, July 15, 2014 photo shows the tobacco in cigarettes in Philadelphia.

This Tuesday, July 15, 2014 photo shows the tobacco in cigarettes in Philadelphia.

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Over the years the percentage of black American smokers has declined, but nine in 10 black people who do smoke say they use menthol-flavored cigarettes. Some believe that the connection between menthols and the black community is not a coincidence but a result of exploitation. Morning Shift talks to Dr. Mark Mitchell, Chair of the National Association Council on Medical Legislation and Lincoln Mondy, creator of the film Black Lives/Black Lungs, which explores the predatory practices of the tobacco industry regarding African-Americans.

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