Menthol amplifies nicotine addiction, making it easier for people to start smoking but harder for them to quit.

Knowing this, the tobacco industry marketed menthol combustible cigarettes to African Americans for decades.

In April of 2021, after years of inexplicable delay, a federal lawsuit brought by plaintiffs including the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council forced the FDA to finally announce it would “begin the rule-making process” to end the sale of menthol cigarettes. However, that can take years before the ban is officially in place.

Politicians and school boards around the country want critical race theory out of their systems. They are heading for an end to the “divisive subject” that focuses on the country’s racial history and problems.

Ironically, that is why critical race theory exists today.

The older generation fought for the civil rights of Black people but when it was time to experience the change, they noticed that the new policies missed the mark. In the 80s, as constitutional laws were failing the Black community, critical race theory was developed. CRT helps to explain how policy and laws institutionalize based on race and are often developed based on racist ideals.

In other words, CRT helps to point out what is racist, remove it, and promote equity.

This week on Black Body Health The Podcast, Dr. Loren Saxton Coleman of Howard University helps to break this down even further.

The associate professor says the word ‘race’ makes people uncomfortable so they try to suppress it and pretend it’s inflammatory language. “Racism is ordinary,” said Coleman; it interferes with all aspects of our society including housing, education and health.

Listen to Coleman and Aidil Ortiz explain why CRT is a tool needed to facilitate proper policy creation. What do you think about CRT? Email us at [email protected] with your comments.

The plant goes by many names but the question is simple -- does legalizing marijuana help or hurt the Black community?

Aidil, like many of us, was first told that marijuana is a gateway drug when she was in grade school. Ritney says the church calls it the Devil’s lettuce. The reputation marijuana has in our society has evolved; marijuana is now considered to be medicine and acceptable for recreational use.

States like New York and Ohio are already looking at how the tax revenue from recreational marijuana will be profitable for their states. More conservative states, like Mississippi and Arkansas, are observing the possibilities that come with legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Decriminalization is progress in one direction -- it keeps people from serving time for nonviolent crimes and having unnecessary interactions with police. However, what happens to those who are already serving time for marijuana-related charges?

In 2019, of those arrested for drug possession charges, most of them were connected to marijuana. Oftentimes, the people charged are from Black and brown communities and serve longer sentences; as Aidil mentions in this podcast, ‘jail is bad for your public health.’

How is your state handling marijuana use?

Send your thoughts and feedback to [email protected]

Money, cash, pesos -- whatever you call it, it will affect your health. You can’t put a price on good health, but a capitalist society will nickel and dime it regardless. Money and the Black community have a relationship that has evolved over time. The rise and fall of Black Wall Street helped and hurt our pockets. An overall lack of financial literacy has made it difficult for some Black people to gain and sustain wealth, along with the harsh fees and practices credit companies have in place.

This week we have Ricardo Thomas on the podcast, financial advisor and president of Thomas-Waddell and Associates financial consulting firm. While he agrees that the fees from these financial institutions do not help generate wealth in our communities, Thomas says we can always choose to patronize elsewhere. However, most of us don’t do so because we either don’t have access to something better or simply don’t know that there are alternatives.

Aidil mentions how the conversation about wealth goes beyond spending habits and knowledge of saving. She argues that our environment and transgenerational financial problems play into this as well.

Ritney believes most people have an innate desire to learn how money works and want to make better choices. For example, those who do not have a lot of money might spend it on unhealthy food or avoid spending on necessary health insurance which can lead to poor health and a shorter life expectancy. Lack of money can keep you from professional advancement, in turn preventing you from getting the job needed to buy said healthy food or healthcare.

So how do we keep the green in our community and wallets? How do we fix a multifaceted problem? Send your thoughts and feedback to [email protected]

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths found in the uterus; Black women make up a quarter of all diagnoses in the United States. Yet there are few groups and advocates to speak on it until now.

The Center for Black Health & Equity is expanding -- with more grants comes more exciting work and opportunities! In this episode, Aidil and Ritney introduce The Center’s newest program manager Shayla Compton.

Shayla says her personal struggle with fibroids and that of her loved ones motivated her to spread awareness about the issue. While the exact cause of the fibroids is unknown, the growths are often linked to higher levels of stress and estrogen. Most people with a uterus menstruate and could be experiencing the pain or symptoms associated with fibroids. When some people finally get medical help for it, hysterectomies are often offered as a first treatment option.

To elevate the conversation, Shayla wants to discuss the medical mistrust and the overrepresentation of Black women with hysterectomies. Sexual health and reproductive health are important; this medical problem aligns with the overall chronic conditions that The Center is trying to prevent within the Black community.

The Center will be hosting Sip and Share sessions in October to openly discuss uterine fibroids on a virtual platform. The sessions will include well-informed guests speakers and resources for the people who may need it. Below are additional links and resources you can use to talk about uterine fibroids.

https://www.thewhitedressproject.org/

https://rsphealth.org/

Oh, you thought we were finished talking about mental health? Not just yet. Hundreds of talented athletes are in Tokyo, Japan for the 2020 (thanks COVID) Olympic Games. Many people have been tuning in to see some of their favorite American athletes compete such as Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time.

The young 24-year-old Black woman has become a household name and inspiration to many, so imagine the backlash Biles received when she pulled out of the gymnastic competitions due to her state of mental health.

On episode 22, podcast hosts Aidil Ortiz and Ritney Castine come to Bile’s defense. There is a lot of pressure to be available and accessible to the people you care about. The pressure to succeed and be the best can also feel heavy on your shoulders. Black women are often expected to be strong and push back their needs to fulfill the needs of others. Many of the people who criticized Biles said she letting her team down and that ‘pressure’ is a part of competitive sports. However, there is tremendous power behind the word ‘no’ and Biles is not afraid to use it.

As we defend the G.O.A.T. of gymnastics, there are other issues relating to public health trending in the headlines. The Delta variant of coronavirus is spreading quickly across the country, but vaccination rates are still low. Also the HIV prevention pill, known as PrEP, will now be free under almost all insurance plans.

For reliable information about COVID-19 and PrEP, click here.

It’s Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, but does the term “minority” still work for our current society?

Is the term BIPOC (Black or Indigenous people of color) that much better? Black Body Health podcast Host Aidil Ortiz and Dr. Nadia Robinson discuss these questions in this week’s podcast.

Dr. Robinson is the founder and executive director of No More Martyrs; a campaign working to support Black women and girls with mental health concerns. She and her team recently hosted their 5th Annual Minority Mental Health Awareness Summit. The platform allows for a diverse group of mental health advocates to engage and expand on the ongoing need for culturally responsive mental health services.

The world entered a pandemic while simultaneously entering a mental health crisis in 2020. However, specifically in the United States, Black people have had to live through police brutality protests and other racialized events that directly impact the Black community.

So as these Black people seek help, who do they turn to? Black people in the mental health field are found in low numbers and culturally responsive health services are not easily found either.

Listen to this episode to learn how these mental health advocates view the needs and progress related to Black mental health.

For details about the book mentioned in this podcast, click here: Misogynoir and Mental Health book

Holy and healthy might be found under the same roof. In episode 20, Ritney Castine and Aidil Ortiz talk about how the religious institution may be trying to save us in more ways than one.

Historically, Black people have gone to faith-based institutions as a safe space to discuss matters beyond religion. Castine explains how the Christian church has been a place to promote generational health and wellness. Churches are often used as hubs for public health outreach and as facilities to provide health care. The pandemic highlighted this even more -- churches hosting drive-through COVID-19 vaccinations and demonstrating how to properly social distance during times of worship.

Like The Center for Black Health & Equity, some organizations understand the role that faith-based institutions play in Black lives. The Center hosts No Menthol Sunday every year -- an initiative that presents faith leaders with the opportunity to talk about tobacco cessation and how the tobacco industry markets menthol to African Americans.

While we can commend the role faith-based institutions have played in promoting public health, the hosts agree there are times where they missed the mark. For example, some faith-based institutions have pushed back on the discussion of HIV/AIDS. In this episode, learn how both public health and religion can work together to promote overall wellness.

The tables have turned in this latest episode - we put our podcast host Aidil Ortiz in the hot seat. Most of us know her as such and recognize her extensive resume in public health, but little did Ortiz know her work would lead her to a bicycling and pedestrian commission in Durham.

Think about the city or neighborhood you live in right now. Do you have sidewalks and clean parks, or bike trails? Can you hear the trains as they come by; is the interstate built over your home?

These kinds of questions got Ortiz to look at her neighborhood differently and learn more about urban planning.

Urban planning is the process of arranging a space or land to work, live and play in it. Though we may think of urban planning as streetlights and skyscrapers, people have been urban planning since the beginning of human existence.

Much of the infrastructure in this country is already in place, but when we look back at how it was developed, we can see that there are ties to racism. Some city codes did not allow Black people or white people to live in certain areas, placing Black people in areas with sewage problems or inaccessible to green spaces.

Fast forward to today, some cities are still working through the effects of these aged plans. These segregated urban plans include a lack of fresh air, lack of easy access to healthy food stores, poor transportation, and pollution. More minorities are getting involved in urban planning and residents, like Ortiz, are fighting back to bring forth the needed changes for health and social equity for Black communities.

It’s been 40 years since the first case of HIV was reported in the United States. As we reach this anniversary, Black Body Health The Podcast reflects on how our society has navigated through this epidemic.

In light of National HIV Testing Day, this episode will tell you about the importance of knowing your status and the commonly  expressed barriers of getting tested.

J. Donte`Prayer, health access coordinator for North Carolina AIDS Action Network joins our podcast. We also have Torrain Baskerville, senior associate for prevention at the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.

Prayer says in North Carolina, increasing HIV testing and access to PrEP has been successful. Baskerville says in a general sense, there is a lot to be proud of in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The CDC reports that the amount of new cases of HIV has dropped by 8 percent in the last 6 years. Specific populations that have been hit hard in this epidemic are receiving the attention and help they need. The use of preventative medications like PrEP has increased by 23 percent. The move towards rapid HIV tests has made it easier for people to learn their status and start the necessary treatments.

However, there is still stigma that affects subcommunities living with HIV that need to be addressed. African Americans and trasngender women still experience the highest rate of HIV in the country.

People in rural communities are often reluctant to get tested or seek help for fear of judgement or ridicule.

To find a testing location, you can visit gettested.cdc.gov/.

Click here for condoms or PrEP providers near you.