Menthol Cigarette Bans are Undermined by “Menthol Mimics”

“Menthol mimics,” cigarettes that imitate the cooling effect of menthol, are increasingly popular and are undermining menthol cigarette bans, a new study concludes.

The researchers found that, among adults who currently smoked menthol cigarettes and were aware of synthetic cooling agent menthol-mimicking cigarettes, half indicated that they were likely to switch to these cigarettes if menthol cigarettes were banned in the U.S.

A number of cities and states are banning menthol cigarettes, which are under fire for promoting smoking among Black Americans, HealthDay reports.

The new study found a substantial portion of U.S. adults are “aware of and had already experimented with synthetic cooling agent menthol-mimicking cigarettes,” according to researchers from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

These products may serve as a substitute for menthol cigarettes and reduce the public health benefits of a menthol cigarette ban in promoting smoking cessation, the researchers wrote.

The Food and Drug Administration proposed a ban on menthol cigarettes, but the proposal stalled under the Biden administration. Massachusetts and California, as well as cities in Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Ohio and Oregon have instituted with their own bans on menthol cigarettes, the researchers said. They noted that menthol masks the irritation and harshness of cigarette smoke, making it easier for people to smoke. This reduced irritation also allows for deeper inhalation, leading to higher nicotine exposure.