With the recently proposed ruling from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), you may be wondering why ban menthol cigarettes? Here’s why it’s a big deal, especially for health plans that serve priority populations.
What is menthol?
Menthol is a chemical added to many tobacco products that adds a minty flavor. It also cools and numbs the throat, reducing the harshness of cigarette smoke.
Research has shown that adding menthol to cigarettes leads to deeper inhales, with greater exposure to nicotine and other chemicals in a cigarette. This can lead to a higher potential for addiction compared to non-menthol cigarettes. For adults, this means menthol can make quitting more difficult.
Tobacco companies add menthol to their products to make them less harsh and more appealing to people who have never used tobacco products, such as youth. It is no coincidence that menthol cigarettes are often used as an entry point for new smokers.
Why ban menthol cigarettes?
From 2019-2020, sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes made up 37% of all cigarette sales in the U.S.
Many smokers tend to have strong preferences for specific brands and flavors. So, banning menthol will likely lead to many people who use menthol cigarettes making a quit attempt rather than switch to another product.
The impact of such a ban would be astronomical. Modeling data from recent research shows that between 1980 and 2018, menthol cigarettes were responsible for 10.1 million extra smokers and 378,000 early deaths. Without the ban, a similar toll is expected to continue.
How is the menthol ban an issue for priority populations?
Menthol cigarettes are used at much higher rates by young people, racial and ethnic minority groups, LGBTQ+ people, and other subgroups. This is not by accident.
Tobacco companies aggressively marketed menthol-flavored tobacco products to target populations. For example, tobacco companies marketed menthol cigarettes in Black communities, offering special discounts to hook new users. They also hijacked aspects of Black culture and sponsored events such as concerts and community events.
These prominently featured menthol ads, and as a result, menthol cigarettes became an accepted part of many Black communities. These marketing tactics resulted in 85% of African-American smokers currently smoking menthol cigarettes.
Research shows that menthol cigarettes disproportionally harm African-Americans and are responsible for exacerbating health disparities. A CDC report noted that African-Americans have a much higher risk for lung cancer than similar White Americans. Instituting a menthol ban could help African Americans who smoke menthol cigarettes make a quit attempt.
How can EX Program help?
The EX Program provides evidence-based quitting help to tobacco users who are impacted by the menthol ban:
- We provide specific content around quitting menthol cigarettes.
- Our EX Coaches are trained to provide 1:1 real-time help to meet the participant’s unique needs; they also have vast experience in helping menthol users quit.
- Our online EX Community has many members who have had to quit due to outside forces (for example, earlier flavor bans or high cigarette taxes). They can provide support to smokers who feel they are being forced to quit due to the menthol ban. For example, see this snapshot of a dialogue from our community showing support to a menthol user trying to quit.
Federal ban and beyond
While the federal menthol ban is still under consideration, many local and state governments have already instituted menthol bans, such as Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and California. (For a complete and up-to-date listing of states and localities that are banning menthol, visit “U.S. State and Local Issues: Ending the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products.”)
However, even without a national ban, it would be wise to prepare by having the appropriate quitting resources ready. For more information on how the EX Program can help your population quit tobacco for good, visit our Program page.
