
A menthol cigarette is a
cigarette
A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...
infused with the compound
menthol
Menthol is an organic compound, specifically a Monoterpene, monoterpenoid, that occurs naturally in the oils of several plants in the Mentha, mint family, such as Mentha arvensis, corn mint and peppermint. It is a white or clear waxy crystallin ...
which imparts a “minty” flavor to the smoke. Menthol also decreases irritant sensations from nicotine by desensitizing receptors, making smoking feel less harsh compared to regular cigarettes. Some studies have suggested that they are more addictive. Menthol cigarettes are just as hard to quit and are just as harmful as regular cigarettes.
Menthol cigarettes have been banned in several countries, including Australia,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
, all member states of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
,
Moldova
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, and some areas of the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, including
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, the
District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, and
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
.
Origins and history

Menthol cigarettes were first developed by Lloyd "Spud" Hughes of
Mingo Junction, Ohio
Mingo Junction is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Jefferson County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,347 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville metropolita ...
, in 1924, though the idea did not become popular until the
Axton-Fisher Tobacco Co. acquired the patent in 1927, marketing them nationwide as "Spud Menthol Cooled Cigarettes". Spud brand menthol cigarettes became the fifth most popular brand in the US by 1932,
and it remained the only menthol cigarette on the market until the
Brown & Williamson
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation was a U.S. tobacco company and a subsidiary of multinational British American Tobacco that produced several popular cigarette brands. It became infamous as the focus of investigations for chemically enhancin ...
Tobacco Company created the
Kool
Kool may refer to:
People
* Kool (surname), surname of Dutch origin
* Robert "Kool" Bell (born 1950), American bassist and founder of Kool and the Gang
* Roger Kool (1954–2005), Singaporean DJ (Roger Kiew)
* Kool DJ Herc (born 1955), Jamaica ...
brand in 1933.
For over two decades, Kool was the only significant menthol cigarette brand in the United States, with a market share that never got much above 2%. Their advertisements focused on "throat comfort" and the "medicinal" properties of menthol, and some ads even suggested occasional use: "In between the others, rest your throat with Kools".
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded by namesake R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the largest tobacco company in the United States. The company is a w ...
launched the first menthol filter-tip cigarettes in 1956 under the
Salem brand.
Less mentholated than Kool, Salem was positioned as an all-purpose cigarette, and captured 0.8% market share within its first year. Other tobacco producers, seeing the success of Salem, soon introduced their own mentholated filter cigarettes: Lorillard with
Newport in 1957 and Spring in 1959;
Philip Morris with Alpine cigarettes in 1959; and Brown & Williamson with Belair in 1960.
Design and manufacture

Menthol cigarettes are constructed
similarly to non-mentholated cigarettes, with menthol added at any of several stages during the manufacturing process. Menthol may be derived from distilled
corn mint oil, or produced synthetically.
While trace amounts of menthol may be added to non-mentholated cigarettes for flavor or other reasons, a menthol cigarette typically has at least 0.3% menthol content by weight. Lower-tar menthol cigarettes may have menthol levels up to 2%, in order to keep menthol delivery constant despite the filtration and ventilation designs used to reduce tar.
A recent innovation has been to include a small capsule in or near the filter which can be broken to release additional menthol or other flavoring solutions. During the smoking of a cigarette the menthol delivery depletes noticeably, but this technology allows the smoker to increase the menthol delivery at a chosen point to sustain or enhance the menthol 'feel'. The capsules can contain any flavorings, but are primarily menthol.
Compared to
tobacco blends for non-mentholated cigarettes, a menthol cigarette will tend to have more
flue-cured than
burley tobacco, and less
oriental tobacco.
Use and popularity
Menthol cigarette usage varies widely by country. They are most popular in the Philippines, where they account for over 60% of total cigarette sales.
United States

Historian Keith Wailoo argues the cigarette industry targeted a new market in the black audience starting in the 1960s. It took advantage of several converging trends. First was the increased national attention on the dangers of lung cancer. Cigarette companies responded by developing menthol-flavored brands like Kool, which seemed to be more soothing to the throat, and advertised these as being more healthy. A second trend was the Federal ban on tobacco advertising on radio and television; as there was no ban on advertising in the print media, the industry responded with large scale advertising in Black newspapers, magazines as well as billboards in inner city neighborhoods. The third trend was the
Civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Big Tobacco invested heavily in the Civil Rights Movement, winning the gratitude of many national and local leaders. Menthol flavored cigarette brands sponsored local events in the black community, and subsidized major black organizations including the
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
(National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in addition to many churches and schools. The marketing initiative was a success as the rate of smoking in the black community grew, especially for menthols, while it declined among whites.
In the United States, menthols comprise about 30% of the total cigarette market. Menthol cigarettes are purchased disproportionately by African-American smokers, with 80% of African-American smokers consuming menthol cigarettes primarily. In fact, menthol tobacco marketing is specifically
targeted to African Americans;
it is a subject of research and it has been a subject of litigation on discrimination grounds. The proportion of smokers who use menthols rose from 31% in 2004 to 33.7% in 2010, according to a 2010 study by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; pronounced ) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). SAMHSA is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitati ...
. Much of the increase comes from young people.
Racial marketing strategies changed among American
tobacco companies
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...
during the 1950s. The
civil rights movement led to the rise of African-American publications, such as ''
Ebony
Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also includes the persimmon tree. A few ''Diospyros'' species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is fin ...
''. This helped tobacco companies to target separate marketing messages by race.
Tobacco companies supported civil rights organizations, and advertised their support heavily. Industry motives were, according to their public statements, to support civil rights causes; according to an independent review of internal tobacco industry documents, they were "to increase African American tobacco use, to use African Americans as a frontline force to defend industry policy positions, and to defuse tobacco control efforts". There had been internal resistance to tobacco sponsorship, and some organizations later began rejecting nicotine funding as a matter of policy.
Race-specific advertising
exacerbated small (a few percent) racial differences in menthol cigarette preferences into large (tens of percent) ones. It has been proposed that menthol cigarettes, which are more addictive but no less harmful,
should be banned, partially on grounds that race-specific marketing for a more addictive product is a social injustice.
Despite it being illegal at the time, tobacco marketers gave out free menthol cigarette samples to children in black neighborhoods in the U.S. Similar practices continue in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a 2016 study found over 12% of South African students had been given free cigarettes by tobacco company representatives.
In addition to high use by African Americans, menthol cigarettes are used disproportionately by adolescents, women, and
lesbian
A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
,
gay,
bisexual
Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
, and
transgender
A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth.
The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
(
LGBT
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
) Americans. Americans identifying as LGBT are twice as likely to use menthol cigarettes, according to
CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, ...
research. Where these demographics overlap, menthol use is especially high: most female LGBT smokers use menthols, as do 80% of African American youth smokers and 70% of LGBT youth smokers.
Tobacco companies have targeted the LGBT community with advertising for menthol cigarettes, most notably through
Project SCUM.
A
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...
report released September 21, 2012, said menthol cigarettes sales had gone from 27% in 2008 to 22% in 2010.
Regulation
Several places have banned menthol cigarettes, including
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
Moldova
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
, the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
Canada
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
imposed a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes that took effect on 1 October 2017. But several
provinces
A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...
had already banned it before at the provincial level, for example
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
,
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
,
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
and
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
.
Brazil
In March 2012, Brazil became the first country to outlaw flavored cigarettes including menthol cigarettes, but was unable to enact it due to the
tobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...
interference resulting in a lengthy court battle. Philip Morris Brasil (PMB) had challenged the ban through its membership of The National Industry Confederation, arguing that the ban was
unconstitutional
In constitutional law, constitutionality is said to be the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution; "Webster On Line" the status of a law, a procedure, or an act's accordance with the laws or set forth in the applic ...
. According to
Philip Morris International
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is a multinational tobacco company, with products sold in over 180 countries. Marlboro is PMI’s most recognized brand, but in the last quarter of 2023, Iqos generated the greatest revenue. Philip Mor ...
's 2018 annual report, "The tobacco union requested a stay of the enforcement of the ingredient ban while the appeal is pending". The Brazilian government finally won the court case in February 2018.
Europe
In July 2015,
Moldova
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
became the world's first country to enact a ban on menthol cigarettes. The law was signed by the president alongside numerous other anti-smoking laws to reduce the domestic use of smoking (tobacco use was over 50 percent of males and caused over 5,600 deaths per year). The
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is a business association advocacy group and is the largest lobbying group in the United States. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging of President Will ...
lobbied against the legislation which delayed the bill until it was passed and signed by president
Nicolae Timofti
Nicolae Timofti (; born 22 December 1948) is a Moldovan jurist and politician who was President of Moldova from 23 March 2012 until 23 December 2016. He served as head of Moldova's Superior Magistrate Council and was 2011–2012 Moldovan preside ...
.
On 21 June 2013, EU health ministers agreed on a
directive to ban menthol cigarettes (technically "dual flavour cigarettes"). In response, the former German chancellor
Helmut Schmidt
Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt (; 23 December 1918 – 10 November 2015) was a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), who served as the chancellor of West Germany from 1974 to 1982. He was the longest ...
(1918–2015) was reported to have hoarded 200 cartons of his preferred menthol cigarette brand in his house.
On 20 May 2020, menthol cigarettes were banned in all
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
countries. Despite having left the EU in January 2020, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
also enacted the ban legislation. Studies have shown that the EU menthol cigarettes ban was effective in increasing quit attempts and quitting among pre-ban menthol smokers.
In October 2014,
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
drafted anti-smoking laws including the ban of menthol cigarettes. In
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, menthol cigarettes are banned. In
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, the parliament rejected a bill to ban menthol cigarettes.
On 5 January 2022, menthol cigarettes were banned in
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. In 2023, the
Norwegian government stated that menthol cigarettes are set to be banned in 2024. As of July 2024, the ban is not yet enacted and expected to come in 2025.
United States
Proposed ban in the United States
Although the use of menthol in ointments and cough drops is regulated by the
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...
(FDA) in the United States of America, regulation of cigarettes was ruled to be outside their existing purview in 2000 by the Supreme Court in the 5–4 decision ''
FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp.'' This power was explicitly granted to the FDA by the 2009
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which also outright banned flavors in cigarettes other than menthol.
On March 18, 2011, the
Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee The Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) is an advisory panel of the United States Food and Drug Administration organized to provide advice, information and recommendations to the FDA commissioner on matters related to the regulati ...
(an advisory panel to the FDA) concluded that removing menthol cigarettes from the market would benefit public health in the United States, but stopped short of recommending that the FDA take any specific actions, like restricting or banning the additive.
In response, the tobacco industry released a report to the FDA in an effort to change the focus of the subject by claiming menthol cigarettes are no riskier than regular cigarettes and should not be regulated differently.
A progress report on panel findings was expected from the FDA in July 2011.
The doctors' group
African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council continued to support the ban.
In November 2018 the FDA announced its intention to outlaw menthol cigarettes, later changing this position to advocate for restriction of flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes to a separate age-restricted room. The FDA stated that this change in position was due to their belief that they do not have the legal regulatory authority to unilaterally declare a ban, citing concerns that any such ban would result in litigation that the FDA would lose.
In June 2020, two US
NGOs (African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council and Action on Smoking and Health) filed a lawsuit against the
FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
to try to force it to introduce a ban on menthol cigarettes in order to reduce health inequalities, noting that 85% of
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
smokers smoke menthol cigarettes.
In April 2021, the FDA announced that it planned to ban the sale, manufacturing, and importation of menthol cigarettes and mass-produced flavored cigars, citing menthol’s highly addictive qualities and the racial disparities among those most likely to smoke menthol cigarettes. Proposed regulations were published for public comment in April 2022.
The attempt was postponed indefinitely after negative public feedback, with particular controversy generated on both sides by the disproportionate use by African-Americans.
The
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is made up of Black members of the United States Congress. Representative Yvette Clarke from New York, the current chairperson, succeeded Steven Horsford from Nevada in 2025. Although most members belong ...
issued a letter in support of a menthol cigarettes ban and opposed its postponement by the Biden administration. The
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
(National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) condemned the administration's postponement of the menthol cigarettes ban, stating "''The NAACP is outraged and disgusted, but we refuse to be deterred. We will continue to do whatever it takes to protect and advance Black life. This is what standing for community looks like."''. The
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association (AMA) is an American professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. This medical association was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was 271,660 ...
(AMA) also protested the postponement and joined a lawsuit intending to force the FDA to implement the ban.
Opposition to proposed ban
Several black advocacy groups have voiced opposition to a proposed ban on menthol in cigarettes. The
Congress of Racial Equality
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States that played a pivotal role for African Americans in the civil rights movement. Founded in 1942, its stated mission is "to bring about ...
, the
National Black Chamber of Commerce
The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) was incorporated as ''The National Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc.'', in 1993. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of African American comm ...
, the
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) is a membership group of primarily black Law enforcement agency, law enforcement CEOs and command level officials in local, state, county, and federal government. Headquartered ...
,
National Action Network
The National Action Network (NAN) is an American not-for-profit, civil-rights organization founded by the Reverend Al Sharpton in New York City, New York, in early 1991. In a 2016 profile, '' Vanity Fair'' called Sharpton "arguably the countr ...
, and the
National Black Police Association have urged the FDA to reject a ban on mentholated cigarettes due to concerns that banning mentholated cigarettes could spur an illicit market for the outlawed products in minority communities. Many of these organizations have received funding from major tobacco companies, raising
conflict of interest
A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple wikt:interest#Noun, interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates t ...
concerns.
Groups representing law enforcement officers also oppose the ban. The
Law Enforcement Alliance of America and the National Troopers Coalition have urged the FDA to consider the impact a ban on menthol cigarettes would have on tobacco smuggling.
The proposed menthol ban also saw opposition from organized labor. In December 2010, workers from the
protested outside a meeting between FDA officials and industry representatives in
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
, arguing that a menthol ban would cost many workers their jobs.
Additionally, the
National Association of Convenience Stores opposes the ban based on menthol cigarettes accounting for 4% of their sales. In a November 2023 letter to
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
, they claimed that their members made $23.7 billion in sales on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and another $10.7 billion in non-tobacco sales among these smoking customers during 2022.
A 2020 US Surgeon General Report, Smoking Cessation, concluded that there is not enough evidence to support banning menthol as a way to reduce smoking.
Health impact
Menthol cigarettes are not healthier than other cigarettes.
[ The risk of lung cancer is no different for menthol cigarettes compared to regular cigarettes. Some studies have suggested that they are more addictive.
Young people who use menthol cigarettes are also thought to be 80% more likely to become life-long smokers than those who use regular cigarettes.]
Menthol decreases irritant sensations from nicotine by desensitizing receptors, making smoking less harsh.
Menthol cigarettes have been shown to inhibit nicotine
Nicotine is a natural product, naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and ''Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreational drug use, recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As ...
metabolization, leading to increased systemic nicotine exposure and increased nicotine addiction.
See also
*Flavored tobacco
Flavored tobacco products — tobacco products with added Flavoring#Flavorants or flavorings, flavorings — include types of cigarettes, cigarillos and cigars, hookahs and Muʽassel, hookah tobacco, various types of smokeless tobacco, an ...
* Tobacco marketing targeting African Americans
* Nicotine marketing
* Tobacco politics
References
Further reading
* Anderson, Stacey J. "Marketing of menthol cigarettes and consumer perceptions: a review of tobacco industry documents." ''Tobacco control'' 20.Suppl 2 (2011): ii20-ii28
online
* Cadham, Christopher J., et al. "The actual and anticipated effects of a menthol cigarette ban: a scoping review." ''BMC Public Health'' 20 (2020): 1-17
online
* Giovino, Gary A., et al. "Epidemiology of menthol cigarette use." ''Nicotine & Tobacco Research'' 6.Suppl_1 (2004): S67-S81
online
* Hiscock, Rosemary, et al. "Tobacco industry tactics to circumvent and undermine the menthol cigarette ban in the UK." ''Tobacco Control'' 29.e1 (2020): e138-e142
online
* Hoffman, Allison C. "The health effects of menthol cigarettes as compared to non-menthol cigarettes." ''Tobacco induced diseases'' 9 (2011): 1-9
online
* Le, Thuy TT, and David Mendez. "An estimation of the harm of menthol cigarettes in the United States from 1980 to 2018." ''Tobacco Control'' 31.4 (2022): 564-568
online
* Villanti, Andrea C., et al. "Menthol cigarettes and the public health standard: a systematic review." ''BMC public health'' 17 (2017): 1-13
online
* Wailoo, Keith. ''Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette'' (2021)
excerpt
External links
FTC Cigarette Report for 2002
Menthol vs. Nonmenthol Cigarettes: Effects on Smoking Behavior
Menthol Cigarette Smoking in African Americans and whites
Preliminary Scientific Evaluation of the Possible Public Health Effects of Menthol versus Nonmenthol Cigarettes
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...
UCSF Tobacco Industry Videos Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menthol Cigarette
Products introduced in 1924
Cigarette types
African-American culture