African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council

The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council is a public health education and advocacy organization based in San Francisco, CA, dedicated to combating tobacco industry targeting of African American communities. Since its founding in 2008, the organization has developed comprehensive expertise in tobacco control policy, menthol and flavored tobacco regulation, and health equity advocacy. The AATCLC works strategically across multiple sectors—collaborating with health jurisdictions, elected officials, community-based organizations, tobacco researchers, faith-based communities, and media outlets to drive systemic change. Their work includes providing technical assistance to health departments, municipalities, and coalitions seeking to implement ordinances prohibiting menthol and flavored tobacco sales. The organization has been instrumental in advancing landmark legislation across nearly 100 American jurisdictions, including the states of Massachusetts and California, establishing the first-ever menthol restrictions in Chicago in 2013. The AATCLC also pursues federal-level impact through litigation, having filed suit against the FDA to compel action on removing menthol-flavored tobacco products from the national market. Operating at the intersection of social injustice and public health policy, the organization combines grassroots community engagement with high-level policy advocacy to address the disproportionate health burden tobacco places on African American populations, where tobacco-induced diseases claim approximately 45,000 lives annually.