Impact of menthol capsule cigarettes on menthol and non-menthol cigarette consumption in the USA, 2008-2020

In April 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration announced its intention to issue regulations banning menthol as a characterising flavour in cigarettes within a year.1 This proposal stemmed from decades of research highlighting the role of menthol cigarettes in promoting initiation, facilitating nicotine dependence and reducing cessation success, particularly in non-white people who smoke cigarettes.2 3 Prior studies have documented the growth of menthol’s market share in the context of dramatic reductions in cigarette consumption.4 5 A recent product feature in menthol cigarettes is the flavour capsule which allows consumers to crush a liquid-filled capsule in the filter, creating a unique menthol sensory experience.6 Sales of cigarettes with flavour capsules are growing in the USA and globally, and have high appeal among young people.6 Indeed, tobacco industry documents indicate that the target audience for...
Source: Tobacco Control - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Letter Source Type: research