Dear, younger me. I wish you knew the truth about menthol tobacco!

We were told smoking was cool. We didn’t know how hard it would be to quit. For decades, Big Tobacco has targeted the LGBTQIA+ community with menthol tobacco, knowing the flavor makes menthols easier to smoke and harder to quit.

Along with all the barriers and challenges LGBTQIA+ folks face to achieve a life as healthy and happy as possible, disproportionate tobacco marketing adds up to more to more stress and more health harms.

Quitting is hard. We're here to break that cycle – together.

Take the quiz
A picture of a woman sitting on a couch holding a picture frame of herself
The truth is, they never had our backs.

The big (tobacco) picture:
How we got hooked.

They placed ads in our magazines. Sponsored our Pride events. Threw parties in our bars. Wrapped their products in rainbows.1 But it was never about supporting us – it was about keeping us hooked to increase their profit.

Now, the facts are out. And you deserve to know exactly how they did it.

Fact 1
Fact 2
Fact 3

This has been Big Tobacco’s plan for us for decades.

Fact 1

Since the early ‘90s, Big Tobacco has been lurking in LGBTQIA+ spaces, masquerading as an ally.2

In 1995, RJ Reynolds launched Project SCUM (Sub-Culture Urban Marketing), a campaign to increase tobacco sales by advertising to gay men and individuals with lower incomes.3

They worked their way into our community and made smoking feel like a part of our identity. Here’s how:

  • Paid for ads in LGBTQIA+ magazines, making cigarettes look like symbols of pride.
  • Sponsored queer events while actively profiting off our health.
  • Hosted bar nights to make smoking feel social and normal.
  • Used slogans like "Take pride in your flavor" to push menthol tobacco.
  • Flooded our social media with e-cigarette ads, knowing nicotine is addictive.1

‍Representation? No. Manipulation? Yes. And they still do it today.

Menthol dependence wasn’t an accident. It was a strategy.

Fact 2

Big Tobacco pushed menthol on our community more than others, and now, we are more likely to smoke menthols than cisgender heterosexual people who smoke – 36% compared to 29%.

Additionally, 27.4% of LGBTQIA+ adults use some form of tobacco, compared to 18.4% of cisgender and heterosexual adults.

Menthol isn't just a flavor; it's a design choice meant to keep you smoking longer.

  • Menthol numbs your throat, making menthol tobacco easier to inhale.
  • Menthol makes it easier for the body to absorb nicotine. That contributes to higher dependence and addiction.
  • It's scientifically proven to make quitting harder.5

They pushed smoking and sold it as part of our culture. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Smoking menthol harms our mental health.

Fact 3

‍Feeling stressed? Reaching for a cigarette or vape? You're not alone, and Big Tobacco knows it.

Smoking and stress are closely linked. People often smoke when they’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed. The tobacco industry takes advantage of this, and markets their products as stress relievers.6 Additionally, menthol tobacco, in particular, has been associated with higher rates of mental health struggles.

Here's what the research says:

  • People who smoke menthol tobacco report higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to those who smoke non-menthols.
  • Smoking can feel like stress relief, but it actually increases stress over time. Once nicotine leaves your system, withdrawal can cause irritability, anxiety, and cravings – making stress worse in the long run.
  • In a study of young adult smokers with severe mental illness, menthol tobacco use was linked to more psychiatric hospitalizations.
  • Among people with substance use disorders, 53.2% smoke menthols – far higher than the 30% in the general population.7

The connection between menthol and mental health is real.

Dear, younger me…

What would you say to yourself before you picked up that first cigarette or vape device? Before it became a habit? Before quitting felt impossible?

Find support
A picture of a women putting blush on her cheek

Now that I quit smoking I feel like myself. I'm

around people that want the best for me.

Jacie

Women slicing vegetables

Smoking is something I didn't want to bring

around my family. I have not smoked one since.

talia

Photo of women holding a puppy

There's nothing to be afraid of.

You've got this.

carrie

What’s your relationship with menthols?

Take the quiz

Quitting is a process, and smoking isn’t just a habit – it’s a relationship. Some days, it feels like comfort … other days, like a weight you want to shake off.

Wherever you are on your journey, this quiz can help you figure out what’s next.

You’ve got backup.

These resources are here for you when you’re ready to quit.

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

988

Need help now? Call, text or chat 988 for support 24/7.

988 LGBTQIA+ Line

Need help now? LGBTQIA+ people under 25 can access 24/7 support via the 988 Lifeline.

Sober and Tobacco Free Queer Spaces in Washington

Seattle’s LGBTQ+ Center

Formerly known as Gay City, the LGBTQ+ Center provides a sober space to queer communities. Stop by and check out a book for free from their library; the largest LGBTQIA+ library in the Pacific Northwest. Consider seeing a queer arts show or performance or find out about community events. You can also rent their spaces to host your own queer-sober meetup or event.

Contact:

Rainbow Center (Tacoma)

For more than 20 years, Rainbow Center has served as a resource hub for the LGBTQIA+ community in South Puget Sound. Rainbow Center has daily open hours, where resources—including a lending library, computer and Wi-Fi access, advocacy services, and educational materials—are available to community members. Each year, they provide direct services to 1,000 individuals, greet almost 4,000 visitors at Rainbow Center, and touch the lives of thousands more through events and partnerships. 

Contact:

Rainbow Advocacy Inclusion & Networking Services

RAINS seeks to empower, educate, and advocate for the RAINBOW (LGBTQIA+) community and allies in Cowlitz County and surrounding areas.

Contact:

Smoking Cessation Resources

The Washington State Quitline

Since 2000, the Washington State Quitline has helped tens of thousands of Washingtonians quit smoking. You can get free, confidential, one-on-one counseling from a Quit Coach, and may be eligible for free medication to help you quit smoking, vaping, or other tobacco.

Contact:

Truth Initiative’s EX Program

Free, 24/7 support through daily text messages full of tips and advice, a resource library with expert guidance, and access to an active community of quitters.

Sign up here.

2Morrow Health App

2Morrow Health is a smartphone app that helps participants learn new ways to deal with unhelpful thoughts, urges, and cravings caused by nicotine. Participants receive notifications and can track their progress along the way in order to move toward their goal of quitting. The program is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and provides a personalized, non-judgmental and private experience.

Download the app:

LGBTQIA+ Resources

GLSEN Washington State

GLSEN Washington State provides training and resources to students, educators, and community partners to make Washington schools more inclusive for all students.

Contact:

Ingersoll Gender Center 

Ingersoll is one of the oldest organizations by and for transgender and gender nonconforming communities in the United States. Officially formed in 1977, Ingersoll Gender Center has been building community, providing connection and advocacy in the Puget Sound region for over four decades.ovides training and resources to students, educators, and community partners to make Washington schools more inclusive for all students.

Contact:

Mental Health Resources

988

Need help now? Call, text or chat 988 for support 24/7.

Trevor Project

This resource is for people 13-24 years old. Crisis counselors are trained to answer calls, chats, or texts from LGBTQIA+ young people who reach out on this free, confidential, and secure 24/7 service when they are struggling with issues such as coming out, LGBTQIA+ identity, depression, or suicide.

Contact:

Trans Lifeline’s Hotline

Trans Lifeline’s Hotline is a peer support phone service run by trans people for trans people, as well as people who are questioning if they might be trans. You can call them if you need someone trans to talk to, even if you’re not in a crisis or if you’re not sure you’re trans.

Contact: