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Menthol cigarette

A menthol cigarette is a cigarette infused with the compound menthol which imparts a “minty” flavor to the smoke. Menthol also decreases irritant sensations from nicotine by desensitizing receptors, making smoking feel less harsh compared to regular cigarettes. Some studies have suggested that they are more addictive. Menthol cigarettes are just as hard to quit and are just as harmful as regular cigarettes.

Marlboro Black Menthol (Japan)

Menthol cigarettes have been banned in several countries, including Canada, Ethiopia, European Union, Moldova, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and some areas of the United States, including California, the District of Columbia, and Massachusetts.

Origins and history edit

 
Spud cigarettes advertisement in The American Magazine (February, 1932)

Menthol cigarettes were first developed by Lloyd "Spud" Hughes of Mingo Junction, Ohio, in 1924,[1] though the idea did not become popular until the Axton-Fisher Tobacco Co. acquired the patent in 1927, marketing them nationwide as "Spud Menthol Cooled Cigarettes". Spud brand menthol cigarettes went on to become the fifth most popular brand in the US by 1932,[2] and it remained the only menthol cigarette on the market until the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company created the Kool brand in 1933.

For over two decades, Kool was the only significant menthol cigarette brand in the United States, with a market share that never got much above 2%. Their advertisements focused on "throat comfort" and the "medicinal" properties of menthol, and some ads even suggested occasional use: "In between the others, rest your throat with Kools".[3]

R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company launched the first menthol filter-tip cigarettes in 1956 under the Salem brand.[2] Less heavily mentholated than Kool, Salem was positioned as an all-purpose cigarette, and captured 0.8% market share within their first year. Other tobacco producers, seeing the success of Salem, soon introduced their own mentholated filter cigarettes: Lorillard with Newport in 1957 and Spring in 1959; Philip Morris with Alpine in 1959; and Brown & Williamson with Belair in 1960.[3]

Design and manufacture edit

 
Marlboro Ice Blast, in addition to being a normal mentholated cigarette, also contains a menthol capsule inside the filter that can be broken by the smoker at the desired moment.

Menthol cigarettes are constructed similarly to non-mentholated cigarettes, with menthol added at any of several stages during the manufacturing process. Menthol may be derived from distilled corn mint oil, or produced synthetically.[4] While trace amounts of menthol may be added to non-mentholated cigarettes for flavor or other reasons, a menthol cigarette typically has at least 0.3% menthol content by weight. Lower-tar menthol cigarettes may have menthol levels up to 2%, in order to keep menthol delivery constant despite the filtration and ventilation designs used to reduce tar.[4]

A recent innovation has been to include a small capsule in or near the filter which can be broken to release additional menthol or other flavoring solutions. During the smoking of a cigarette the menthol delivery depletes noticeably, but this technology allows the smoker to increase the menthol delivery at a chosen point to sustain or enhance the menthol 'feel'. The capsules can contain any flavorings, but are primarily menthol.[5]

Compared to tobacco blends for non-mentholated cigarettes, a menthol cigarette will tend to have more flue-cured than burley tobacco, and less oriental tobacco.[4]

Use and popularity edit

Menthol cigarette usage varies widely by country. They are most popular in the Philippines, where they account for over 60% of total cigarette sales.[6]

United States edit

 
A soft pack of Newport Menthol cigarettes

Historian Keith Wailoo argues the cigarette industry targeted a new market in the black audience starting in the 1960s. It took advantage of several converging trends. First was the increased national attention on the dangers of lung cancer. Cigarette companies responded by developing menthol-flavored brands like Kool, which seemed to be more soothing to the throat, and advertised these as being more healthy. A second trend was the Federal ban on tobacco advertising on radio and television; as there was no ban on advertising in the print media, the industry redsponded with large scale advertising in Black newspapers, magazines as well a billboards in inner city neighborhoods. The third trend was the Civil rights movement of the 1960s. Big Tobacco invested heavily in the Civil Rights Movement, winning the gratitude of many national and local leaders. Menthol flavored cigarette brands sponsored local events in the black community, and subsidized major black organizations including the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in addition to many churches and schools. The marketing initiative was a success as the rate of smoking in the black community grew, especially for menthols, while it declined among whites.[7]

In the United States, menthols comprise about 30% of the total cigarette market.[8] Menthol cigarettes are purchased disproportionately by African-American smokers, with 80% of African-American smokers consuming menthol cigarettes primarily.[9][10][11] In fact, menthol tobacco marketing is specifically targeted to African Americans;[12] it is a subject of research and it has been a subject of litigation on discrimination grounds. The proportion of smokers who use menthols rose from 31% in 2004 to 33.7% in 2010, according to a 2010 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Much of the increase comes from young people.[13]

Racial marketing strategies changed among American tobacco companies during the 1950s. The civil rights movement led to the rise of African-American publications, such as Ebony. This helped tobacco companies to target separate marketing messages by race.[14] Tobacco companies supported civil rights organizations, and advertised their support heavily. Industry motives were, according to their public statements, to support civil rights causes; according to an independent review of internal tobacco industry documents, they were "to increase African American tobacco use, to use African Americans as a frontline force to defend industry policy positions, and to defuse tobacco control efforts". There had been internal resistance to tobacco sponsorship, and some organizations later began rejecting nicotine funding as a matter of policy.[15]

Race-specific advertising exacerbated small (a few percent) racial differences in menthol cigarette preferences into large (tens of percent) ones.[16] It has been proposed that menthol cigarettes, which are more addictive but no less harmful,[12][17] should be banned, partially on grounds that race-specific marketing for a more addictive product is a social injustice.[18]

Despite it being illegal at the time, tobacco marketers gave out free menthol cigarette samples to children in black neighborhoods in the U.S.[19][20] Similar practices continue in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a 2016 study found over 12% of South African students had been given free cigarettes by tobacco company representatives.[21]

In addition to high use by African Americans, menthol cigarettes are used disproportionately by adolescents, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans.[22] Americans identifying as LGBT are twice as likely to use menthol cigarettes, according to CDC research.[23] Where these demographics overlap, menthol use is especially high: most female LGBT smokers use menthols, as do 80% of African American youth smokers and 70% of LGBT youth smokers.[24] Tobacco companies have targeted the LGBT community with advertising for menthol cigarettes, most notably through Project SCUM.[24]

A Federal Trade Commission report released September 21, 2012, said menthol cigarettes sales had gone from 27% in 2008 to 22% in 2010.[25]

Regulation edit

Several places have banned menthol cigarettes, including Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Turkey, Moldova, the European Union and the United Kingdom.[26]

Canada edit

Canada imposed a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes that took effect on 1 October 2017.[27] But several provinces had already banned it before at the provincial level, for example Quebec, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario and New Brunswick.

Brazil edit

In March 2012, Brazil became the first country to outlaw flavored cigarettes including menthol cigarettes,[28] but was unable to enact it due to the tobacco industry interference resulting in a lengthy court battle. Philip Morris Brasil (PMB) had challenged the ban through its membership of The National Industry Confederation, arguing that the ban was unconstitutional. According to Philip Morris International's 2018 annual report, "The tobacco union requested a stay of the enforcement of the ingredient ban while the appeal is pending". The Brazilian government finally won the court case in February 2018.

European Union and United Kingdom edit

On 21 June 2013, EU health ministers agreed on a directive to ban menthol cigarettes (technically "dual flavour cigarettes").[29] In response, the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt (1918–2015) was reported to have hoarded 200 cartons of his preferred menthol cigarette brand in his house.[30]

On 20 May 2020, menthol cigarettes were banned in all European Union countries. Despite having left the EU in January 2020, the United Kingdom also enacted the ban.[31]

United States edit

Proposed ban in the United States edit

Although the use of menthol in ointments and cough drops is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States of America, regulation of cigarettes was removed from their purview in 2000 by the Supreme Court in a 5–4 ruling, FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp.[32] The FDA, under the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, banned characterizing flavors in cigarettes; however, mentholated tobacco products were exempt. Furthermore, the act gives the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products and ban flavor additives, although the act contained an exception for menthol.

On March 18, 2011, the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (an advisory panel to the FDA) concluded that removing menthol cigarettes from the market would benefit public health in the United States, but stopped short of recommending that the FDA take any specific actions, like restricting or banning the additive.[33] In response, the tobacco industry released a report to the FDA in an effort to change the focus of the subject by claiming menthol cigarettes are no riskier than regular cigarettes and should not be regulated differently.[34]

A progress report on panel findings was expected from the FDA in July 2011.[33]

The doctors' group African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council continued to support the ban.[18][35]

In November 2018 the FDA announced its intention to outlaw menthol cigarettes, later changing this position to advocate for restriction of flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes to a separate age-restricted room. The FDA stated that this change in position was due to their belief that they do not have the legal regulatory authority to unilaterally declare a ban, citing concerns that any such ban would result in litigation that the FDA would lose.[36]

In June 2020, two US NGOs (African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council and Action on Smoking and Health) filed a lawsuit against the FDA to try to force it to introduce a ban on menthol cigarettes in order to reduce health inequalities, noting that 85% of African American smokers smoke menthol cigarettes.[37]

In April 2021, the FDA announced that it planned to ban the sale, manufacturing, and importation of menthol cigarettes and mass-produced flavored cigars, citing menthol’s highly addictive qualities and the racial disparities among those most likely to smoke menthol cigarettes.[38][39] Proposed regulations were published for public comment in April 2022, but the FDA has delayed its decision on whether to implement the proposal until March 2024.[40][41]

Opposition to proposed ban edit

Several black advocacy groups have voiced opposition to a proposed ban on menthol in cigarettes. The Congress of Racial Equality, the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Action Network, and the National Black Police Association have urged the FDA to reject a ban on mentholated cigarettes due to concerns that banning mentholated cigarettes could spur an illicit market for the outlawed products in minority communities.[42][43][44] Many of these organizations have received funding from major tobacco companies, raising conflict of interest concerns.[41]

Groups representing law enforcement officers also oppose the ban. The Law Enforcement Alliance of America and the National Troopers Coalition have urged the FDA to consider the impact a ban on menthol cigarettes would have on tobacco smuggling.[45]

The proposed menthol ban also saw opposition from organized labor. In December 2010, workers from the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union protested outside a meeting between FDA officials and industry representatives in Raleigh, North Carolina, arguing that a menthol ban would cost many workers their jobs.[46]

Additionally, the National Association of Convenience Stores opposes the ban based on menthol cigarettes accounting for 4% of their sales.[47] In a November 2023 letter to Joe Biden, they claimed that their members made $23.7 billion in sales on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and another $10.7 billion in non-tobacco sales among these smoking customers during 2022.[48]

A 2020 US Surgeon General Report, Smoking Cessation, concluded that there is not enough evidence to support banning menthol as a way to reduce smoking.[49]

Health impact edit

Menthol cigarettes are not healthier than other cigarettes.[17] The risk of lung cancer is no different for menthol cigarettes compared to regular cigarettes.[50] Some studies have suggested that they are more addictive.[51][52]

Young people who use menthol cigarettes are also thought to be 80% more likely to become life-long smokers than those who use regular cigarettes.[53]

Menthol decreases irritant sensations from nicotine by desensitizing receptors, making smoking less harsh.[53]

Menthol cigarettes have been shown to inhibit nicotine metabolization, leading to increased systemic nicotine exposure and increased nicotine addiction.[53][54]

See also edit

References edit

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    US 1555580, Hughs, Lloyd F, "Process of Treating Cigarette Tobacco", issued September 29, 1925 
  2. ^ a b McNichol, Tom (25 March 2011). "Mint that Kills: The Curious Life of Menthol Cigarettes". The Atlantic. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  3. ^ a b Market Science Associates. "The Growth of Menthols: 1933–1977". Truth Tobacco Industry Documents.
  4. ^ a b c Ogden, Michael W (July 15, 2010). (PDF). Food and Drug Administration (Slide presentation.). RJ Reynolds. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Menthol Capsules in Cigarette Filters - Increasing the Attractiveness of a Harmful Product" (PDF). Tobacco Prevention and Tobacco Control. German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg. 2012.
  6. ^ Giovino, G.A.; Sidney, S; Gfroerer, J.C.; O'Malley, P.M.; Allen, J.A.; Richter, P.A.; Cummings, KM (February 2004). "Epidemiology of Menthol Cigarette Use". Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 6 (Suppl 1): S67–81. doi:10.1080/14622203710001649696. PMID 14982710.
  7. ^ Wailoo, Keith (2021-11-02). Pushing Cool. Chicago London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-79413-6.
  8. ^ "Lorillard, Inc 2012 Form 10-K, p. 40". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  9. ^ Gardiner, Phillip S. (February 2004). Munafò, Marcus (ed.). "The African Americanization of menthol cigarette use in the United States" (PDF). Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 6 (Suppl 1). Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco: 55–65. doi:10.1080/14622200310001649478. eISSN 1469-994X. ISSN 1462-2203. LCCN 00244999. PMID 14982709. S2CID 1486105. (PDF) from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  10. ^ Rubin, Rita (2009-09-27). "Exclusion of menthol cigarettes in ban worries health experts". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-05-12.
  11. ^ "Harvard Researchers Gather More Evidence Implicating Menthol in Health Disparities Between White and Black Smokers". Harvard School of Public Health. August 18, 2005.
  12. ^ a b Cohn, Amy M.; Alexander, Adam C.; Ehlke, Sarah J. (August 2021). Munafò, Marcus (ed.). "Affirming the Abuse Liability and Addiction Potential of Menthol: Differences in Subjective Appeal to Smoking Menthol Versus Non-Menthol Cigarettes Across African American and White Young Adult Smokers". Nicotine & Tobacco Research. ntab137 (1). Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco: 20–27. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntab137. eISSN 1469-994X. ISSN 1462-2203. LCCN 00244999. PMC 8666118. PMID 34405884. S2CID 237197350.
  13. ^ "National Survey on Drug Use and Health". Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. November 18, 2011.
  14. ^ Davis, Ronald M.; Gilpin, Elizabeth A.; Loken, Barbara; Viswanath, K.; Wakefield, Melanie A. (2008). The role of the media in promoting and reducing tobacco use (PDF). National Cancer Institute tobacco control monograph series. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. p. 684.
  15. ^ Yerger, V. B.; Malone, R. E. (2002-12-01). "African American leadership groups: smoking with the enemy". Tobacco Control. 11 (4): 336–345. doi:10.1136/tc.11.4.336. PMC 1747674. PMID 12432159.
  16. ^ Edwards, Jim (January 5, 2011). "Why Big Tobacco Targeted Blacks With Ads for Menthol Cigarettes". CBS News. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  17. ^ a b Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) of the Center for Tobacco Products of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2011-07-21). (PDF). US Food and Drug Administration. p. 252. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-17. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  18. ^ a b Tavernise, Sabrina (2016-09-13). "Black Health Experts Renew Fight Against Menthol Cigarettes". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  19. ^ "Cigarette Suit Says Maker Gave Samples To Children". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2004-06-27. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  20. ^ "Evans v. Lorillard: A Bittersweet Victory Against the Tobacco Industry" (PDF). Tobacco Control Legal Consortium. Mitchell Hamline School of Law. August 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  21. ^ Chandora, Rachna; Song, Yang; Chaussard, Martine; Palipudi, Krishna Mohan; Lee, Kyung Ah; Ramanandraibe, Nivo; Asma, Samira; GYTS collaborative group (October 2016). "Youth access to cigarettes in six sub-Saharan African countries". Preventive Medicine. 91S: –23–S27. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.01.018. PMID 26845374.
  22. ^ Rose, Shyanika W; Jo, Catherine L; Binns, Steven; Buenger, Melissa; Emery, Sherry; Ribisl, Kurt M (2017-02-27). "Perceptions of Menthol Cigarettes Among Twitter Users: Content and Sentiment Analysis". Journal of Medical Internet Research. 19 (2): e56. doi:10.2196/jmir.5694. ISSN 1439-4456. PMC 5348619. PMID 28242592.
  23. ^ Fallin, Amanda; Goodin, Amie J.; King, Brian A. (January 2015). "Menthol Cigarette Smoking among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adults". American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 48 (1): 93–97. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2014.07.044. ISSN 0749-3797. PMC 4454462. PMID 25245795.
  24. ^ a b Moodie-Mills, Aisha (May 12, 2011). "Flavored Disease and Death for Minorities". Center for American Progress. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  25. ^ Craver, Richard (2012-09-25). "Reynolds to offer more menthol versions of Pall Mall cigarettes". Winston-Salem Journal.
  26. ^ Menthol Cigarettes: Tobacco Industry Interests and Interference.
  27. ^ "Ottawa finalizes ban on menthol cigarettes, other tobacco products". Global News. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  28. ^ "Brazil bans flavored tobacco". WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
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  30. ^ . The Local. 9 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-07-11.
  31. ^ Gretler, Corinne (2020-02-05). . Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 2020-03-20.
  32. ^ "FDA V. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. (98-1152)". United States Supreme Court.
  33. ^ a b Wilson, Duff (18 March 2011). "Advisory Panel Urges F.D.A to Re-examine Menthol in Cigarettes". The New York Times.
  34. ^ . Associated Press. 18 March 2011. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012.
  35. ^ Kenney, Tanasia (2016-09-19). "Why These Black Doctors Are Pushing President Obama to Ban Menthol Cigarettes, Tobacco Products". Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  36. ^ Kaplan, Sheila; Hoffman, Jan (2018-11-16). "F.D.A. Seeks Restrictions on Teens' Access to Flavored E-Cigarettes and a Ban on Menthol Cigarettes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  37. ^ The Time is Now for the FDA to Ban Menthol in Commercial Cigarettes
  38. ^ Kaplan, Sheila (2021-04-29). "F.D.A. Announces Plan to Ban Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  39. ^ "More than a million smokers likely to quit after U.S. bans menthol cigarettes". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  40. ^ "The FDA is proposing a ban on menthol cigarettes". NPR. from the original on 2023-04-18.
  41. ^ a b Jewett, Christina; Stolberg, Sheryl Gay; Fahrenthold, David A (6 December 2023). "White House Delays a Decision on Banning Menthol Cigarettes". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  42. ^ "Much heated puffing among minority groups over menthol cigarette ban". Los Angeles Times. 18 October 2010.
  43. ^ Rubin, Rita (14 March 2011). "FDA weighs ban on Newports, other menthol cigarettes". USA Today.
  44. ^ Lee, Jessie (24 March 2011). "Banning menthol cigarettes will create contraband market". Indianapolis Recorder.
  45. ^ "National Troopers Coalition Applauds FDA Consideration of New Black Market Tobacco Study". PR Newswire. 18 November 2010.
  46. ^ "NC Union Says FDA Menthol Ban Would Hurt Workers". Associated Press. 8 December 2010.
  47. ^ Zajac, Andrew (18 March 2011). "Tobacco industry brushes off call for FDA restrictions on menthol cigarettes". Los Angeles Times.
  48. ^ Kantor, Doug (8 November 2023). "Docket N. FDA-2021-N-1349 for Tobacco Product Standard for Menthol in Cigarettes and Docket No. FDA-2021-N-1309 for Tobacco Product Standard for Characterizing Flavors in Cigars" (PDF). National Association of Convenience Stores. (PDF) from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  49. ^ Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General.
  50. ^ Lee, PN (April 2011). "Systematic review of the epidemiological evidence comparing lung cancer risk in smokers of menthol and regular cigarettes". BMC Pulmonary Medicine. 11 (18): 18. doi:10.1186/1471-2466-11-18. PMC 3103484. PMID 21501470.
  51. ^ Biswas, L.; Harrison, E.; Gong, Y.; Avusula, R.; Lee, J.; Zhang, M.; Rousselle, T.; Lage, J.; Liu, X. (2016). "Enhancing effect of menthol on nicotine self-administration in rats". Psychopharmacology. 233 (18): 3417–3427. doi:10.1007/s00213-016-4391-x. PMC 4990499. PMID 27473365.
  52. ^ Wickham, R. J. (2015). "How Menthol Alters Tobacco-Smoking Behavior: A Biological Perspective". Yale J. Biol. Med. 88 (3): 279–287. PMC 4553648. PMID 26339211.
  53. ^ a b c Kabbani, Nadine (2013-07-23). "Not so Cool? Menthol's discovered actions on the nicotinic receptor and its implications for nicotine addiction". Frontiers in Pharmacology. 4: 95. doi:10.3389/fphar.2013.00095. ISSN 1663-9812. PMC 3720998. PMID 23898298.
  54. ^ Benowitz, Neal; Herrera, Brenda; Jacob, Peyton (2004). "Mentholated Cigarette Smoking Inhibits Nicotine Metabolism". Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 310 (3): 1208–15. doi:10.1124/jpet.104.066902. PMID 15084646. S2CID 16044557.

Further reading edit

  • Anderson, Stacey J. "Marketing of menthol cigarettes and consumer perceptions: a review of tobacco industry documents." Tobacco control 20.Suppl 2 (2011): ii20-ii28. online
  • Cadham, Christopher J., et al. "The actual and anticipated effects of a menthol cigarette ban: a scoping review." BMC Public Health 20 (2020): 1-17. online
  • Giovino, Gary A., et al. "Epidemiology of menthol cigarette use." Nicotine & Tobacco Research 6.Suppl_1 (2004): S67-S81. online
  • Hiscock, Rosemary, et al. "Tobacco industry tactics to circumvent and undermine the menthol cigarette ban in the UK." Tobacco Control 29.e1 (2020): e138-e142. online
  • Hoffman, Allison C. "The health effects of menthol cigarettes as compared to non-menthol cigarettes." Tobacco induced diseases 9 (2011): 1-9. online
  • Le, Thuy TT, and David Mendez. "An estimation of the harm of menthol cigarettes in the United States from 1980 to 2018." Tobacco Control 31.4 (2022): 564-568. online
  • Villanti, Andrea C., et al. "Menthol cigarettes and the public health standard: a systematic review." BMC public health 17 (2017): 1-13. online
  • Wailoo, Keith. Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette (2021) excerpt

External links edit

  • FTC Cigarette Report for 2002
  • FDA Milestones
  • Menthol vs. Nonmenthol Cigarettes: Effects on Smoking Behavior
  • Menthol Cigarette Smoking in African Americans and whites
  • Preliminary Scientific Evaluation of the Possible Public Health Effects of Menthol versus Nonmenthol Cigarettes Food and Drug Administration
  • UCSF Tobacco Industry Videos Collection

menthol, cigarette, menthol, cigarette, cigarette, infused, with, compound, menthol, which, imparts, minty, flavor, smoke, menthol, also, decreases, irritant, sensations, from, nicotine, desensitizing, receptors, making, smoking, feel, less, harsh, compared, r. A menthol cigarette is a cigarette infused with the compound menthol which imparts a minty flavor to the smoke Menthol also decreases irritant sensations from nicotine by desensitizing receptors making smoking feel less harsh compared to regular cigarettes Some studies have suggested that they are more addictive Menthol cigarettes are just as hard to quit and are just as harmful as regular cigarettes Marlboro Black Menthol Japan Menthol cigarettes have been banned in several countries including Canada Ethiopia European Union Moldova Turkey the United Kingdom and some areas of the United States including California the District of Columbia and Massachusetts Contents 1 Origins and history 2 Design and manufacture 3 Use and popularity 3 1 United States 4 Regulation 4 1 Canada 4 2 Brazil 4 3 European Union and United Kingdom 4 4 United States 4 4 1 Proposed ban in the United States 4 4 2 Opposition to proposed ban 5 Health impact 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksOrigins and history edit nbsp Spud cigarettes advertisement in The American Magazine February 1932 Menthol cigarettes were first developed by Lloyd Spud Hughes of Mingo Junction Ohio in 1924 1 though the idea did not become popular until the Axton Fisher Tobacco Co acquired the patent in 1927 marketing them nationwide as Spud Menthol Cooled Cigarettes Spud brand menthol cigarettes went on to become the fifth most popular brand in the US by 1932 2 and it remained the only menthol cigarette on the market until the Brown amp Williamson Tobacco Company created the Kool brand in 1933 For over two decades Kool was the only significant menthol cigarette brand in the United States with a market share that never got much above 2 Their advertisements focused on throat comfort and the medicinal properties of menthol and some ads even suggested occasional use In between the others rest your throat with Kools 3 R J Reynolds Tobacco Company launched the first menthol filter tip cigarettes in 1956 under the Salem brand 2 Less heavily mentholated than Kool Salem was positioned as an all purpose cigarette and captured 0 8 market share within their first year Other tobacco producers seeing the success of Salem soon introduced their own mentholated filter cigarettes Lorillard with Newport in 1957 and Spring in 1959 Philip Morris with Alpine in 1959 and Brown amp Williamson with Belair in 1960 3 Design and manufacture edit nbsp Marlboro Ice Blast in addition to being a normal mentholated cigarette also contains a menthol capsule inside the filter that can be broken by the smoker at the desired moment Menthol cigarettes are constructed similarly to non mentholated cigarettes with menthol added at any of several stages during the manufacturing process Menthol may be derived from distilled corn mint oil or produced synthetically 4 While trace amounts of menthol may be added to non mentholated cigarettes for flavor or other reasons a menthol cigarette typically has at least 0 3 menthol content by weight Lower tar menthol cigarettes may have menthol levels up to 2 in order to keep menthol delivery constant despite the filtration and ventilation designs used to reduce tar 4 A recent innovation has been to include a small capsule in or near the filter which can be broken to release additional menthol or other flavoring solutions During the smoking of a cigarette the menthol delivery depletes noticeably but this technology allows the smoker to increase the menthol delivery at a chosen point to sustain or enhance the menthol feel The capsules can contain any flavorings but are primarily menthol 5 Compared to tobacco blends for non mentholated cigarettes a menthol cigarette will tend to have more flue cured than burley tobacco and less oriental tobacco 4 Use and popularity editMenthol cigarette usage varies widely by country They are most popular in the Philippines where they account for over 60 of total cigarette sales 6 United States edit nbsp A soft pack of Newport Menthol cigarettesHistorian Keith Wailoo argues the cigarette industry targeted a new market in the black audience starting in the 1960s It took advantage of several converging trends First was the increased national attention on the dangers of lung cancer Cigarette companies responded by developing menthol flavored brands like Kool which seemed to be more soothing to the throat and advertised these as being more healthy A second trend was the Federal ban on tobacco advertising on radio and television as there was no ban on advertising in the print media the industry redsponded with large scale advertising in Black newspapers magazines as well a billboards in inner city neighborhoods The third trend was the Civil rights movement of the 1960s Big Tobacco invested heavily in the Civil Rights Movement winning the gratitude of many national and local leaders Menthol flavored cigarette brands sponsored local events in the black community and subsidized major black organizations including the NAACP National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in addition to many churches and schools The marketing initiative was a success as the rate of smoking in the black community grew especially for menthols while it declined among whites 7 In the United States menthols comprise about 30 of the total cigarette market 8 Menthol cigarettes are purchased disproportionately by African American smokers with 80 of African American smokers consuming menthol cigarettes primarily 9 10 11 In fact menthol tobacco marketing is specifically targeted to African Americans 12 it is a subject of research and it has been a subject of litigation on discrimination grounds The proportion of smokers who use menthols rose from 31 in 2004 to 33 7 in 2010 according to a 2010 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Much of the increase comes from young people 13 Racial marketing strategies changed among American tobacco companies during the 1950s The civil rights movement led to the rise of African American publications such as Ebony This helped tobacco companies to target separate marketing messages by race 14 Tobacco companies supported civil rights organizations and advertised their support heavily Industry motives were according to their public statements to support civil rights causes according to an independent review of internal tobacco industry documents they were to increase African American tobacco use to use African Americans as a frontline force to defend industry policy positions and to defuse tobacco control efforts There had been internal resistance to tobacco sponsorship and some organizations later began rejecting nicotine funding as a matter of policy 15 Race specific advertising exacerbated small a few percent racial differences in menthol cigarette preferences into large tens of percent ones 16 It has been proposed that menthol cigarettes which are more addictive but no less harmful 12 17 should be banned partially on grounds that race specific marketing for a more addictive product is a social injustice 18 Despite it being illegal at the time tobacco marketers gave out free menthol cigarette samples to children in black neighborhoods in the U S 19 20 Similar practices continue in Sub Saharan Africa where a 2016 study found over 12 of South African students had been given free cigarettes by tobacco company representatives 21 In addition to high use by African Americans menthol cigarettes are used disproportionately by adolescents women and lesbian gay bisexual and transgender LGBT Americans 22 Americans identifying as LGBT are twice as likely to use menthol cigarettes according to CDC research 23 Where these demographics overlap menthol use is especially high most female LGBT smokers use menthols as do 80 of African American youth smokers and 70 of LGBT youth smokers 24 Tobacco companies have targeted the LGBT community with advertising for menthol cigarettes most notably through Project SCUM 24 A Federal Trade Commission report released September 21 2012 said menthol cigarettes sales had gone from 27 in 2008 to 22 in 2010 25 Regulation editSeveral places have banned menthol cigarettes including Brazil Canada Ethiopia Turkey Moldova the European Union and the United Kingdom 26 Canada edit Canada imposed a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes that took effect on 1 October 2017 27 But several provinces had already banned it before at the provincial level for example Quebec Alberta Nova Scotia Ontario and New Brunswick Brazil edit In March 2012 Brazil became the first country to outlaw flavored cigarettes including menthol cigarettes 28 but was unable to enact it due to the tobacco industry interference resulting in a lengthy court battle Philip Morris Brasil PMB had challenged the ban through its membership of The National Industry Confederation arguing that the ban was unconstitutional According to Philip Morris International s 2018 annual report The tobacco union requested a stay of the enforcement of the ingredient ban while the appeal is pending The Brazilian government finally won the court case in February 2018 European Union and United Kingdom edit On 21 June 2013 EU health ministers agreed on a directive to ban menthol cigarettes technically dual flavour cigarettes 29 In response the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt 1918 2015 was reported to have hoarded 200 cartons of his preferred menthol cigarette brand in his house 30 On 20 May 2020 menthol cigarettes were banned in all European Union countries Despite having left the EU in January 2020 the United Kingdom also enacted the ban 31 United States edit Proposed ban in the United States edit Although the use of menthol in ointments and cough drops is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration FDA in the United States of America regulation of cigarettes was removed from their purview in 2000 by the Supreme Court in a 5 4 ruling FDA v Brown amp Williamson Tobacco Corp 32 The FDA under the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act banned characterizing flavors in cigarettes however mentholated tobacco products were exempt Furthermore the act gives the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products and ban flavor additives although the act contained an exception for menthol On March 18 2011 the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee an advisory panel to the FDA concluded that removing menthol cigarettes from the market would benefit public health in the United States but stopped short of recommending that the FDA take any specific actions like restricting or banning the additive 33 In response the tobacco industry released a report to the FDA in an effort to change the focus of the subject by claiming menthol cigarettes are no riskier than regular cigarettes and should not be regulated differently 34 A progress report on panel findings was expected from the FDA in July 2011 33 The doctors group African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council continued to support the ban 18 35 In November 2018 the FDA announced its intention to outlaw menthol cigarettes later changing this position to advocate for restriction of flavored tobacco and e cigarettes to a separate age restricted room The FDA stated that this change in position was due to their belief that they do not have the legal regulatory authority to unilaterally declare a ban citing concerns that any such ban would result in litigation that the FDA would lose 36 In June 2020 two US NGOs African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council and Action on Smoking and Health filed a lawsuit against the FDA to try to force it to introduce a ban on menthol cigarettes in order to reduce health inequalities noting that 85 of African American smokers smoke menthol cigarettes 37 In April 2021 the FDA announced that it planned to ban the sale manufacturing and importation of menthol cigarettes and mass produced flavored cigars citing menthol s highly addictive qualities and the racial disparities among those most likely to smoke menthol cigarettes 38 39 Proposed regulations were published for public comment in April 2022 but the FDA has delayed its decision on whether to implement the proposal until March 2024 40 41 Opposition to proposed ban edit Several black advocacy groups have voiced opposition to a proposed ban on menthol in cigarettes The Congress of Racial Equality the National Black Chamber of Commerce the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives National Action Network and the National Black Police Association have urged the FDA to reject a ban on mentholated cigarettes due to concerns that banning mentholated cigarettes could spur an illicit market for the outlawed products in minority communities 42 43 44 Many of these organizations have received funding from major tobacco companies raising conflict of interest concerns 41 Groups representing law enforcement officers also oppose the ban The Law Enforcement Alliance of America and the National Troopers Coalition have urged the FDA to consider the impact a ban on menthol cigarettes would have on tobacco smuggling 45 The proposed menthol ban also saw opposition from organized labor In December 2010 workers from the Bakery Confectionery Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union protested outside a meeting between FDA officials and industry representatives in Raleigh North Carolina arguing that a menthol ban would cost many workers their jobs 46 Additionally the National Association of Convenience Stores opposes the ban based on menthol cigarettes accounting for 4 of their sales 47 In a November 2023 letter to Joe Biden they claimed that their members made 23 7 billion in sales on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and another 10 7 billion in non tobacco sales among these smoking customers during 2022 48 A 2020 US Surgeon General Report Smoking Cessation concluded that there is not enough evidence to support banning menthol as a way to reduce smoking 49 Health impact editMenthol cigarettes are not healthier than other cigarettes 17 The risk of lung cancer is no different for menthol cigarettes compared to regular cigarettes 50 Some studies have suggested that they are more addictive 51 52 Young people who use menthol cigarettes are also thought to be 80 more likely to become life long smokers than those who use regular cigarettes 53 Menthol decreases irritant sensations from nicotine by desensitizing receptors making smoking less harsh 53 Menthol cigarettes have been shown to inhibit nicotine metabolization leading to increased systemic nicotine exposure and increased nicotine addiction 53 54 See also editFlavored tobacco Tobacco marketing targeting African Americans Nicotine marketing Tobacco politicsReferences edit Process of Treating Cigarette Tobacco United States Patent Office US 1555580 Hughs Lloyd F Process of Treating Cigarette Tobacco issued September 29 1925 a b McNichol Tom 25 March 2011 Mint that Kills The Curious Life of Menthol Cigarettes The Atlantic Retrieved 18 July 2011 a b Market Science Associates The Growth of Menthols 1933 1977 Truth Tobacco Industry Documents a b c Ogden Michael W July 15 2010 Characterization of Menthol History and Design of Menthol Cigarettes PDF Food and Drug Administration Slide presentation RJ Reynolds Archived from the original PDF on May 16 2012 Retrieved 11 April 2013 Menthol Capsules in Cigarette Filters Increasing the Attractiveness of a Harmful Product PDF Tobacco Prevention and Tobacco Control German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg 2012 Giovino G A Sidney S Gfroerer J C O Malley P M Allen J A Richter P A Cummings KM February 2004 Epidemiology of Menthol Cigarette Use Nicotine amp Tobacco Research 6 Suppl 1 S67 81 doi 10 1080 14622203710001649696 PMID 14982710 Wailoo Keith 2021 11 02 Pushing Cool Chicago London University of Chicago Press ISBN 978 0 226 79413 6 Lorillard Inc 2012 Form 10 K p 40 U S Securities and Exchange Commission Retrieved 8 April 2013 Gardiner Phillip S February 2004 Munafo Marcus ed The African Americanization of menthol cigarette use in the United States PDF Nicotine amp Tobacco Research 6 Suppl 1 Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 55 65 doi 10 1080 14622200310001649478 eISSN 1469 994X ISSN 1462 2203 LCCN 00244999 PMID 14982709 S2CID 1486105 Archived PDF from the original on 1 May 2021 Retrieved 7 January 2022 Rubin Rita 2009 09 27 Exclusion of menthol cigarettes in ban worries health experts USA Today Retrieved 2010 05 12 Harvard Researchers Gather More Evidence Implicating Menthol in Health Disparities Between White and Black Smokers Harvard School of Public Health August 18 2005 a b Cohn Amy M Alexander Adam C Ehlke Sarah J August 2021 Munafo Marcus ed Affirming the Abuse Liability and Addiction Potential of Menthol Differences in Subjective Appeal to Smoking Menthol Versus Non Menthol Cigarettes Across African American and White Young Adult Smokers Nicotine amp Tobacco Research ntab137 1 Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 20 27 doi 10 1093 ntr ntab137 eISSN 1469 994X ISSN 1462 2203 LCCN 00244999 PMC 8666118 PMID 34405884 S2CID 237197350 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration November 18 2011 Davis Ronald M Gilpin Elizabeth A Loken Barbara Viswanath K Wakefield Melanie A 2008 The role of the media in promoting and reducing tobacco use PDF National Cancer Institute tobacco control monograph series U S Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute p 684 Yerger V B Malone R E 2002 12 01 African American leadership groups smoking with the enemy Tobacco Control 11 4 336 345 doi 10 1136 tc 11 4 336 PMC 1747674 PMID 12432159 Edwards Jim January 5 2011 Why Big Tobacco Targeted Blacks With Ads for Menthol Cigarettes CBS News Retrieved 2018 05 24 a b Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee TPSAC of the Center for Tobacco Products of the Food and Drug Administration FDA 2011 07 21 Menthol Cigarettes and Public Health Review of the Scientific Evidence and Recommendations PDF US Food and Drug Administration p 252 Archived from the original PDF on 2017 05 17 Retrieved 2018 05 24 a b Tavernise Sabrina 2016 09 13 Black Health Experts Renew Fight Against Menthol Cigarettes The New York Times Retrieved 2018 05 24 Cigarette Suit Says Maker Gave Samples To Children The New York Times Associated Press 2004 06 27 Retrieved 2018 05 24 Evans v Lorillard A Bittersweet Victory Against the Tobacco Industry PDF Tobacco Control Legal Consortium Mitchell Hamline School of Law August 2016 Retrieved 20 December 2018 Chandora Rachna Song Yang Chaussard Martine Palipudi Krishna Mohan Lee Kyung Ah Ramanandraibe Nivo Asma Samira GYTS collaborative group October 2016 Youth access to cigarettes in six sub Saharan African countries Preventive Medicine 91S 23 S27 doi 10 1016 j ypmed 2016 01 018 PMID 26845374 Rose Shyanika W Jo Catherine L Binns Steven Buenger Melissa Emery Sherry Ribisl Kurt M 2017 02 27 Perceptions of Menthol Cigarettes Among Twitter Users Content and Sentiment Analysis Journal of Medical Internet Research 19 2 e56 doi 10 2196 jmir 5694 ISSN 1439 4456 PMC 5348619 PMID 28242592 Fallin Amanda Goodin Amie J King Brian A January 2015 Menthol Cigarette Smoking among Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Adults American Journal of Preventive Medicine 48 1 93 97 doi 10 1016 j amepre 2014 07 044 ISSN 0749 3797 PMC 4454462 PMID 25245795 a b Moodie Mills Aisha May 12 2011 Flavored Disease and Death for Minorities Center for American Progress Retrieved 4 October 2018 Craver Richard 2012 09 25 Reynolds to offer more menthol versions of Pall Mall cigarettes Winston Salem Journal Menthol Cigarettes Tobacco Industry Interests and Interference Ottawa finalizes ban on menthol cigarettes other tobacco products Global News Retrieved 2021 06 01 Brazil bans flavored tobacco WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control EU agrees ban on menthol cigarettes RTE 21 June 2013 Ex Chancellor hoards 38 000 cigarettes The Local 9 July 2013 Archived from the original on 2013 07 11 Gretler Corinne 2020 02 05 Europe s Menthol Ban Has Tobacco Firms Thinking Outside the Pack Bloomberg com Archived from the original on 2020 03 20 FDA V Brown amp Williamson Tobacco Corp 98 1152 United States Supreme Court a b Wilson Duff 18 March 2011 Advisory Panel Urges F D A to Re examine Menthol in Cigarettes The New York Times Tobacco Makers Fight Menthol Rules Associated Press 18 March 2011 Archived from the original on 27 April 2012 Kenney Tanasia 2016 09 19 Why These Black Doctors Are Pushing President Obama to Ban Menthol Cigarettes Tobacco Products Atlanta Black Star Retrieved 2018 05 24 Kaplan Sheila Hoffman Jan 2018 11 16 F D A Seeks Restrictions on Teens Access to Flavored E Cigarettes and a Ban on Menthol Cigarettes The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 2018 12 20 The Time is Now for the FDA to Ban Menthol in Commercial Cigarettes Kaplan Sheila 2021 04 29 F D A Announces Plan to Ban Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 2021 04 30 More than a million smokers likely to quit after U S bans menthol cigarettes EurekAlert Retrieved 2022 06 01 The FDA is proposing a ban on menthol cigarettes NPR Archived from the original on 2023 04 18 a b Jewett Christina Stolberg Sheryl Gay Fahrenthold David A 6 December 2023 White House Delays a Decision on Banning Menthol Cigarettes The New York Times Retrieved 7 December 2023 Much heated puffing among minority groups over menthol cigarette ban Los Angeles Times 18 October 2010 Rubin Rita 14 March 2011 FDA weighs ban on Newports other menthol cigarettes USA Today Lee Jessie 24 March 2011 Banning menthol cigarettes will create contraband market Indianapolis Recorder National Troopers Coalition Applauds FDA Consideration of New Black Market Tobacco Study PR Newswire 18 November 2010 NC Union Says FDA Menthol Ban Would Hurt Workers Associated Press 8 December 2010 Zajac Andrew 18 March 2011 Tobacco industry brushes off call for FDA restrictions on menthol cigarettes Los Angeles Times Kantor Doug 8 November 2023 Docket N FDA 2021 N 1349 for Tobacco Product Standard for Menthol in Cigarettes and Docket No FDA 2021 N 1309 for Tobacco Product Standard for Characterizing Flavors in Cigars PDF National Association of Convenience Stores Archived PDF from the original on 10 November 2023 Retrieved 7 December 2023 Smoking Cessation A Report of the Surgeon General Lee PN April 2011 Systematic review of the epidemiological evidence comparing lung cancer risk in smokers of menthol and regular cigarettes BMC Pulmonary Medicine 11 18 18 doi 10 1186 1471 2466 11 18 PMC 3103484 PMID 21501470 Biswas L Harrison E Gong Y Avusula R Lee J Zhang M Rousselle T Lage J Liu X 2016 Enhancing effect of menthol on nicotine self administration in rats Psychopharmacology 233 18 3417 3427 doi 10 1007 s00213 016 4391 x PMC 4990499 PMID 27473365 Wickham R J 2015 How Menthol Alters Tobacco Smoking Behavior A Biological Perspective Yale J Biol Med 88 3 279 287 PMC 4553648 PMID 26339211 a b c Kabbani Nadine 2013 07 23 Not so Cool Menthol s discovered actions on the nicotinic receptor and its implications for nicotine addiction Frontiers in Pharmacology 4 95 doi 10 3389 fphar 2013 00095 ISSN 1663 9812 PMC 3720998 PMID 23898298 Benowitz Neal Herrera Brenda Jacob Peyton 2004 Mentholated Cigarette Smoking Inhibits Nicotine Metabolism Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 310 3 1208 15 doi 10 1124 jpet 104 066902 PMID 15084646 S2CID 16044557 Further reading editAnderson Stacey J Marketing of menthol cigarettes and consumer perceptions a review of tobacco industry documents Tobacco control 20 Suppl 2 2011 ii20 ii28 onlineCadham Christopher J et al The actual and anticipated effects of a menthol cigarette ban a scoping review BMC Public Health 20 2020 1 17 onlineGiovino Gary A et al Epidemiology of menthol cigarette use Nicotine amp Tobacco Research 6 Suppl 1 2004 S67 S81 online Hiscock Rosemary et al Tobacco industry tactics to circumvent and undermine the menthol cigarette ban in the UK Tobacco Control 29 e1 2020 e138 e142 onlineHoffman Allison C The health effects of menthol cigarettes as compared to non menthol cigarettes Tobacco induced diseases 9 2011 1 9 online Le Thuy TT and David Mendez An estimation of the harm of menthol cigarettes in the United States from 1980 to 2018 Tobacco Control 31 4 2022 564 568 onlineVillanti Andrea C et al Menthol cigarettes and the public health standard a systematic review BMC public health 17 2017 1 13 onlineWailoo Keith Pushing Cool Big Tobacco Racial Marketing and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette 2021 excerptExternal links editFTC Cigarette Report for 2002 FDA Milestones Menthol vs Nonmenthol Cigarettes Effects on Smoking Behavior Menthol Cigarette Smoking in African Americans and whites Preliminary Scientific Evaluation of the Possible Public Health Effects of Menthol versus Nonmenthol Cigarettes Food and Drug Administration UCSF Tobacco Industry Videos Collection Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Menthol cigarette amp oldid 1217357091, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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