A study of 1,092 young people showed that menthol cigarettes increase the dependence from nicotine. Precisely for this reason the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) of the United States is working to ban the use of menthol in tobacco, with the aim that young people limit its consumption.
The results of the Research have been published in the scientific journal JAMA Network Open.
Menthol cigarettes: that’s why they are best avoided
According to a research team from the University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Sciencethe study showed that the proportion of menthol cigarette smokers between the ages of 12 and 17 has risen to 56% and these menthol cigarettes appear to stimulate young people to consume them thereby increasing nicotine addiction.
“The ‘chilling’ sensation of menthol masks the harshness of tobacco that can make menthol cigarettes more palatable to young people. Additionally, this cooling sensation can allow the smoke to be inhaled deeper and held for longer, which can result in more nicotine being absorbed per puff.“, he has declared Eric Leasassistant professor at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and lead author of the study.
“This can accelerate physical addiction to nicotine by leading young people to smoke more often“, Leas continued. Using data from the longitudinal study, nationally representative of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH), started from National Institute on Drug Abuse and from the FDA Center for Tobacco Products under contract with Westat, the team compared the use of menthol and non-menthol cigarettes.
For young people who smoked, menthol cigarette consumption was associated with an additional 2.8 days of smoking in the past 30 days, a 38% higher risk of being a frequent smoker, and an 8% higher nicotine addiction. . Young people who switched from menthol cigarettes to unflavoured cigarettes smoked 3.6 fewer days in a 30-day period, with a 47% lower risk of being a frequent smoker and revealed a lower nicotine addiction than 3%.
Menthol is a naturally occurring chemical found in mint oils but is also synthetically produced in laboratories. In addition to the “mentato” taste, menthol has pain-relieving and paralyzing properties. Menthol was first added to tobacco in the 1920s and 1930s. Today, nearly 18.6 million current smokers use menthol cigarettes in this country.
The marketing of menthol-based products has been aimed at black and LGBTQ + individuals and low-income communities. About 85% of black smokers consume menthol cigarettes compared to 48% of Latinos, 41% of Asians and 30% of white smokers. The FDA reported that menthol cigarette use decreased among white youth but did not decrease among black or Latino youth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States. Tobacco use is associated with 1 in 5 deaths. More than 90% of current smokers started smoking in adolescence and it is estimated that 80% of young people who used tobacco started smoking flavored tobacco.
“Some studies predict that banning menthol could prevent up to 633,000 deaths “, said the senior author John P. PierceDistinguished Professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.
“Our findings suggest that adding menthol to cigarettes is increasing smoking frequency and nicotine addiction among young people. Menthol cigarettes are also making it harder for them to progress towards quitting. These findings provide strong support for the FDA’s proposed ban on menthol flavor in cigarettes to protect our youth.“.
In Italy, menthol cigarettes were banned starting in May 2020. Article 7, paragraph 14, of Directive 2014/40 / EU leaves no room for doubt: since May 20, 2020 menthol cigarettes have been banned. In Italy this directive was implemented in 2016 and, despite some attempts by other member states, the ban is valid throughout Europe.
The reasons that led the European Union to ban menthol cigarettes concern the fact that flavored cigarettes encourage their consumption. Menthol also makes cigarettes particularly pleasant and its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anesthetic properties sell the illusion that menthol cigarettes are a harmless product, and even worse, they bring benefits to our body.
The EU Court, called to answer on the legitimacy of the decision, declared that flavorings such as menthol (but also vanilla, cinnamon and others) can disguise the harshness of tobacco smoke, ultimately favoring smoking. The Court of Justice of the European Union has also defended the decision of the EU legislator precisely because it is aimed at reducing the spread of products that increase smoking.
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