MentholA targeted takeover
The mint that kills
Easy to addict. Hard to quit.Menthol has a cooling effect, making tobacco products - like cigarettes, snuff, e-cigarettes, and vapes - feel less harsh and easier to use.
Menthol also suppresses our body’s natural urge to cough to clear our airways and improves the taste and smell of these products making them more attractive and easier to start using.
Finally, menthol enhances the effects of nicotine, making the use of menthol products more addictive and more harmful.
Menthol by mistake
Making billions, addicting millions.1In the 1920s, Lloyd ‘Spud’ Hughes had a cold and reached for a common cure for the time, menthol crystals. Later, putting the crystals away with his cigarettes - the flavors combined.
Since then, menthol cigarettes have been on the market. And as their popularity quickly grew, so did menthol tobacco products — and the fortune made by Big Tobacco.1
Big Tobacco Targeting
LGBTQIA2S+, Black, African American, Hispanic, and Latinx communities have been aggressively targeted by the tobacco industry for many years. That targeting has had a devasting impact on many communities.2
Black or African American
Of Black adults who smoke, 93% first tried smoking using menthol cigarettes.4Learn more
Hispanic or Latinx
Of adults who smoke, about 48% of people who identify as Hispanic use menthol cigarettes.5Learn more
LGBTQIA2S+
People who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ are more likely to try their first cigarette before age 13.3Learn more
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References:
1 FTC Report Finds Annual Cigarette Sales Increased for the First Time in 20 Years, First-ever reporting on flavored products finds menthol makes up more than half of smokeless tobacco sales , Federal Trade Commission, October 26, 2021
2 Truth Tobacco Industry Document, A HISTORY OF MENTHOLATED CIGARETTES 'THIS SPUD'S FOR YOU', Philip Morris Records; Master Settlement Agreement, October 23, 1993.
3 Big Tobacco Targets the LGBTQ+ Community, American Cancer Society, December 15, 2022
4 Cigarette Smoking and the Role of Menthol in Tobacco Use Inequalities for Sexual Minorities. Ollie Ganz, Cristine D Delnevo, Nicotine Tob Res. 2021;23: 1942–1946.
5 Differences in Subjective Experiences to First Use of Menthol and Nonmenthol Cigarettes in a National Sample of Young Adult Cigarette Smokers, National Library of Medicine, D’Silva J, Cohn AM, Johnson AL, Villanti AC. 2018;20: 1062–1068.
6 Menthol Smoking and Related Health Disparities, CDC, Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, June 27, 2022
1 FTC Report Finds Annual Cigarette Sales Increased for the First Time in 20 Years, First-ever reporting on flavored products finds menthol makes up more than half of smokeless tobacco sales , Federal Trade Commission, October 26, 2021
2 Truth Tobacco Industry Document, A HISTORY OF MENTHOLATED CIGARETTES 'THIS SPUD'S FOR YOU', Philip Morris Records; Master Settlement Agreement, October 23, 1993.
3 Big Tobacco Targets the LGBTQ+ Community, American Cancer Society, December 15, 2022
4 Cigarette Smoking and the Role of Menthol in Tobacco Use Inequalities for Sexual Minorities. Ollie Ganz, Cristine D Delnevo, Nicotine Tob Res. 2021;23: 1942–1946.
5 Differences in Subjective Experiences to First Use of Menthol and Nonmenthol Cigarettes in a National Sample of Young Adult Cigarette Smokers, National Library of Medicine, D’Silva J, Cohn AM, Johnson AL, Villanti AC. 2018;20: 1062–1068.
6 Menthol Smoking and Related Health Disparities, CDC, Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, June 27, 2022
Last updated 4/23/2024 1:58 PM
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