Surgeon General Defends Singling Out Minorities to Urge No Drinking, Smoking

Surgeon General Jerome Adams called out black and Latino communities at the White House coronavirus briefing on Friday and urged them to “step it up” and “avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drugs” amid the pandemic, a comment that sparked immediate criticism. “Do it for your abuela, do it for your grandaddy, do it for your Big Mama, do it for your pop pop,” he said. Asked why he had used such language and called only on people of color to avoid alcohol and drugs, Adams said his comments were “not meant to be offensive.”  “I used the language that is used in my family,” he said, stressing the need for “targeted outreach.”