Menthol Cigarettes have quickly become one of the most sought-after types due to their affordable cost, easy smoking experience, and delicious mint flavoring. Tips on how to Menthol Cigarettes.
Menthol cigarettes are trendy among youth; nearly half of the smokers aged 12-17 consume these tobacco products.
They are cheaper
Menthol cigarettes are more cost-effective than other options, making them popular with smokers. Not only are menthols less harsh than nonmenthol cigarettes and more easily inhaled, making them ideal choices.
The tobacco industry has used menthol and mint flavors as a draw for new users of cigarettes, appealing especially to young people, minorities, LGBTQ+ people, low-income communities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Unfortunately, flavored tobacco products have been linked with increased smoking initiation rates and smoking-related deaths.
Tobacco companies have also utilized retail marketing practices that target groups according to their racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. For instance, an overrepresentation of menthol cigarettes is sold in neighborhoods with high concentrations of youth or African-American residents (Yerger, Przewoznik & Malone, 2007; Widome Lenk & Chen, 2013).
Evidence indicates that price promotions for menthol cigarettes are more prevalent in neighborhoods where these populations reside. For example, according to a national sample of tobacco retailers, exterior advertisements and price promotions for Newport brand menthol cigarettes were significantly more common in neighborhoods with higher youth, lower-income, and African-American residents than elsewhere.
They are more attractive.
Since the 1950s, tobacco manufacturers have used menthol flavoring as one of their primary tools for encouraging youth and young adults to start smoking cigarettes.
According to data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), menthol is more frequently consumed by youth than nonmenthol cigarettes, especially non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic youth, who are significantly more likely to consume menthol cigarettes than other youth.
Menthol cigarettes are also more likely to be smoked by females than males. An analysis using National Survey on Drug Use and Health data demonstrated that those reporting mental health symptoms were much more likely to consume these cigarettes than those without such issues.
These findings indicate that menthol contributes to higher rates of cigarette usage among youth and young adults, which leads to progression toward regular smoking, increased dependence, and lower quit rates. Therefore, the panel suggests that the FDA consider banning it as a characterizing cigarette flavor.
They are easier to smoke
Menthol cigarettes are easier for smokers than nonmenthol brands because of the cooling sensation they provide to smokers’ throats and mouths, allowing them to enjoy the flavor without experiencing burning sensations and increasing how much nicotine can be inhaled.
Menthol flavor interacts with nicotine to heighten its addictive qualities and make smoking harder for people trying to quit. As such, this makes quitting even harder for many smokers.
Black smokers, in particular, tend to become dependent on nicotine more quickly than members of other races and ethnicities.
Tobacco companies have long targeted African American and female smokers when marketing menthol cigarettes. Yet, experts agree that banning it would benefit all smokers equally and reduce tobacco-related deaths by 15 percent in the US.
They are more addictive.
Tobacco companies first added menthol to cigarettes in the 1920s, promising it would provide a cool and refreshing taste that would help smokers feel less irritated by tobacco smoke. Instead, Menthol causes a tingly, cooling sensation in the mouth and throat, which helps suppress the coughing reflex.
Menthol can make smoking more pleasurable and accessible for new tobacco users, particularly youths, making the switch more accessible and enjoyable than before. But unfortunately, its interaction with nicotine makes quitting harder due to increased addictive effects and cravings for nicotine in the brain.
Food and Drug Administration officials have warned about menthol cigarettes being more addictive than nonmenthol ones due to their cooling effect, enabling smokers to inhale more nicotine per cigarette than nonmenthol smokers and leading to increased doses and more significant addiction.
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