Fact
Back in the ‘80’s, a major tobacco company paid to go into inner-city neighborhoods and hand out free samples of menthol cigarettes in an effort to acquire African Americans as customers.
Source 1:
PM, PHILIP MORRIS. BENSON & HEDGES PART-TIME INNER CITY SAMPLING PROGRAM. 1985 June 03. Philip Morris Records.
https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=xqxx0111