Tobacco corporations have shamelessly targeted kids and communities of color for decades to attract them to tobacco products - and get them hooked.
The result is life-long addiction and higher risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Making matters worse, both secondhand smoke and aerosol from e-cigarettes put non-smokers at risk, too. Black children, in particular, are more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke than any other racial demographic.
Currently, tobacco companies are able to continue business as usual without repercussions because of policies that restrict a local government's ability to pass tobacco control measures that protect their residents.
This is why the American Heart Association is mobilizing advocates to fight for local action.
Good ideas often start locally. Community residents and leaders understand their own needs and know how best to address them. When people in a community work together to come up with a solution, the state should help champion it—not strike it down or stifle innovative thinking as they cater to special interests. We should be listening to communities, not corporations.
With smoking identified as a risk factor for severe coronavirus-related disease and death, it is more urgent than ever to help people quit. We have a shared responsibility to protect our children and communities of color from these dangerous and addictive products.
Sign the petition today to join the American Heart Association's fight for local action and help empower local officials to take additional tobacco control measures to protect health, and reduce healthcare costs in their communities. 
