![]() ![]() That percentage is higher than the about 40% of adults 18 and older who prefer menthols. About half of youth smokers ages 12-17 smoke menthols.About 41% of Asian individuals who smoke prefer menthol cigarettes.About 48% of Hispanic individuals who smoke use menthol cigarettes.More than 8 in 10 of Black Americans who smoke use menthol cigarettes.6 The industry has also marketed menthol cigarettes extensively to the LGBTQ community. The tobacco industry has targeted their marketing for menthol cigarettes specifically to certain racial/ethnic groups, especially Black Americans since the 1950s. 8 Disproportionately Impacted Populations 5Ī recent study quantified the disproportionate harms from menthol cigarettes to Black Americans, finding that menthol cigarettes were responsible for 1.5 million new smokers, 157,000 smoking-related premature deaths and 1.5 million life years lost among Black Americans from 1980-2018. 2,4 Scientific evidence also indicates that menthol smokers are less likely than non-menthol smokers to successfully quit smoking despite having a higher urge to end their tobacco dependence. Menthol cigarettes have also been found to increase both the likelihood of becoming addicted and also the degree of addiction. 2 In fact, the minty taste and odor can mask the early warning symptoms of smoking-induced respiratory problems. However, despite what some marketing messages may seem to suggest, menthol cigarettes offer no health benefits compared to non-menthol cigarettes. When inhaled, menthol can reduce airway pain and irritation from cigarette smoke and suppress coughing, giving smokers the illusion of breathing more easily. 1 Flavors, including menthol, are one of the primary reasons kids start using tobacco products. More than 18.9 million people currently smoke menthol cigarettes. The marketing of menthol cigarettes has been targeted at Black Americans for decades. Under the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that gives the Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products, menthol was the only flavor allowed in cigarettes in sufficient quantity to be a "characterizing flavor." Tobacco companies have relied on the soothing and cooling effects of menthol to make cigarettes more appealing to new smokers, youth, Black Americans and LGBTQ Americans among others. First added to tobacco in the 1920s and 1930s, menthol reduces the harshness of cigarette smoke and the irritation from nicotine. Menthol is a chemical naturally found in peppermint and other mint plants, but it can also be made in a lab. ![]()
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