Where Is the Conversation About Youth Vaping? A Question Worth Asking
The NAACP’s 2026 Black Health Report shines a light on many serious health challenges facing Black communities, including access to health care, chronic disease, mental health, and health equity. These are important issues that deserve attention.
But one important question remains: Why is there little or no discussion about the youth vaping epidemic and the tobacco industry’s continued targeting of African Americans and other communities of color? Every day, young people are exposed to flavored tobacco products, nicotine vapes, and menthol cigarettes that are designed to attract and addict new users. Public health organizations continue to warn that Black communities carry a disproportionate burden of tobacco-related disease, and more than 80% of Black adults who smoke use menthol cigarettes.
At The SOL Project (Saving Our Legacy: African Americans for Smoke-Free Safe Places), we believe this conversation cannot be left out. That is why we continue to educate youth, families, faith leaders, and community members about the dangers of nicotine addiction, vaping, secondhand smoke, and thirdhand smoke. We are also working with residents and local leaders to support smoke-free multi-unit housing and smoke-free outdoor public areas in Sacramento County, Elk Grove, and Citrus Heights so everyone can enjoy cleaner, healthier air.
Do you have smoke drifting into your apartment, condo, townhome, or duplex? You do not have to face it alone. The SOL Project wants to hear from you. Contact us at info@thesolproject.com to share your concerns and learn how we can help you advocate for healthier, smoke-free living where you call home.
Healthy communities begin with clean air. The conversation about Black health should also include protecting our children, teens, and young adults from nicotine addiction and the ongoing impact of the tobacco industry’s marketing practices.
