As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighs banning the sale of menthol cigarettes, a new study strengthens the tie between mint-flavored tobacco and teen smoking.
According to the survey, adolescents who began smoking using menthols tended to smoke an average of nearly three days more during a 30-day period than their peers who took up smoking using regular cigarettes. They also had a 38% higher risk of being a frequent smoker, and an 8% higher risk for nicotine dependency. At the same time, young smokers who switched from menthols to regular cigarettes tended to decrease their tobacco use afterwards.
"Menthol cigarettes are a really unique product. They have an almost anesthetic property to them that makes them easier to smoke," noted Andrea Villanti, an associate professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey, who studies tobacco use among young adults but was not part of the study team.
"They impart some flavor to the product as well. You can think of your experience using a cough drop when you're sick and the way it soothes your throat and reduces irritation. So, you can imagine that smoking a menthol cigarette would reduce throat irritation, allow you to inhale more deeply and allow you to smoke more, potentially," Villanti explained.