Menthol
Menthol is more than just a flavor. Menthol flavored tobacco products are smoother and better tasting than traditional cigarettes. These effects often make it easier to start smoking and then harder to quit. To learn more about the dangers of menthol cigarettes check out the resources below.
What is Menthol?
Menthol is a chemical compound found naturally in peppermint and other similar plants. Menthol can also be produced in a lab.1
Menthol can change the way the brain registers the sensations of taste and pain.2 In cigarettes, menthol creates a cooling sensation in the throat and airways, making the smoke feel less harsh and easier to inhale.3
Menthol is also used in other commercial tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco, smokeless tobacco, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products.
According to federal law, tobacco manufacturers cannot market cigarettes with "characterizing flavors," except for menthol or tobacco-flavored cigarettes.4 Almost all cigarettes sold in the United States contain some natural or lab-created menthol. However, there is usually more menthol in cigarettes marketed specifically as "menthol" compared to other cigarettes.5
In 2021, sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes made up 37% of all cigarette sales in the United States. This is the highest proportion since major tobacco companies were first required to report those data to the federal government in 1963, when menthol cigarettes made up 16% of all cigarettes sales in the U.S.6
Resources
Menthol a Public Health Problem
Menthol Smoking and Related Health Disparities