What makes menthol cigarettes

This also decreases the cough reflex and can soothe the dry throat feeling that many smokers have. As a result, menthol smokers may inhale more deeply, hold the smoke in the lungs longer, and get more exposure to the dangerous chemicals in cigarette smoke. National survey data showed that in , Menthol products accounted for approximately one-fifth of the United States cigarette market in About 80 percent of African Americans smokers prefer menthol cigarettes in comparison to 30 percent of white smokers.

Like other cigarettes, menthol cigarettes cause diseases including cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory diseases and multiple adverse reproductive outcomes. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Menthol and Cigarettes.

Minus Related Pages. What is Menthol? Why is Menthol in Cigarettes Dangerous? What's the bottom line? On This Page. Different Groups Are at Higher Risk. Other High-Risk Groups. Menthol Smoking Continues to be a Problem. Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Food and Drug Administration.

Menthol is a chemical naturally found in peppermint and other mint plants, but it can also be made in a lab. First added to tobacco in the s and s, menthol reduces the harshness of cigarette smoke and the irritation from nicotine.

Under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that gives the Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products, menthol is the only characterizing flavor allowed in cigarettes in sufficient quantity to be a "characterizing flavor.

The marketing of menthol cigarettes has been targeted at African Americans for decades. More than When inhaled, menthol can reduce airway pain and irritation from cigarette smoke and suppress coughing, giving smokers the illusion of breathing more easily.

However, despite what some marketing messages may seem to suggest, menthol cigarettes offer no health benefits compared to non-menthol cigarettes.

Menthol cigarettes have also been found to increase both the likelihood of becoming addicted and also the degree of addiction. Black Lives, Black Lungs is a short film that documents the tobacco industry's breaking into the African American community. In , the FDA passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act , which allowed continued use of menthol cigarettes while removing all other flavored cigarettes from the marketplace.

Flavored cigars, or cigarillos, come in flavors like cherry, grape and vanilla. They are typically available at convenience stores and gas stations for a very low price. Like menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars were not covered by the flavor ban.

Cigars are not regulated in the same way as cigarettes. Removing these products would be an important step in reducing the overall impact of tobacco on public health, especially in communities where they are popular. There is no safe tobacco product. If you are a smoker or vaper, one of the best things you can do to protect your health and reduce your risk of cancer is to quit.

The best way to do that is through a comprehensive program that includes a combination of medications and counseling. Parents can text QUIT to to get tips and advice for helping their teens and young adults quit using tobacco or vape products.

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