What Is Menthol?

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 1920s and 1930s, menthol reduces the harshness of cigarette smoke and the irritation from nicotine. Under the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that gives the Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products, menthol was the only flavor allowed in cigarettes in sufficient quantity to be a "characterizing flavor." Tobacco companies have relied on the soothing and cooling effects of menthol to make cigarettes more appealing to new smokers, youth, Black and LGBTQ individuals in the U.S. among others. The marketing of menthol cigarettes has been targeted at Black individuals in the U.S. for decades.

Close to 14.4 million people currently smoke menthol cigarettes.¹ Flavors, including menthol, are one of the primary reasons kids start using tobacco products.

Health Effects of Menthol

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.² In fact, the minty taste and odor can mask the early warning symptoms of smoking-induced respiratory problems.³

Menthol cigarettes have also been found to increase both the likelihood of becoming addicted and also the degree of addiction.^2,4 Scientific evidence also indicates that menthol smokers are less likely than non-menthol smokers to successfully quit smoking despite having a higher urge to end their tobacco dependence.⁵

A recent study quantified the disproportionate harms from menthol cigarettes to Black individuals in the U.S., finding that menthol cigarettes were responsible for 1.5 million new smokers, 157,000 smoking-related premature deaths and 1.5 million life years lost among Black individuals in the U.S., from 1980-2018.⁸

Disproportionately Impacted Populations

The tobacco industry has targeted their marketing for menthol cigarettes specifically to certain racial/ethnic groups, especially Black individuals in the U.S., since the 1950s.⁶ The industry has also marketed menthol cigarettes extensively to the LGBTQ community.

This has resulted in:

• More than 3 in 4 of Black Americans who smoke use menthol cigarettes.¹
• About 38% of Hispanic individuals who smoke use menthol cigarettes.¹
• About 41% of Asian individuals who smoke use menthol cigarettes.¹

Public Policy

On May 4, 2022, FDA issued two proposed rules that would stop the sale of cigarettes with menthol as a characterizing flavor and remove all flavored cigars from the marketplace. Unfortunately, former President Biden did not allow these important rules to move forward despite several opportunities to do so in 2023 and 2024. Both rules have been returned to FDA and we expect no action on either rule in the near future.

The American Lung Association has long supported the removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace. In April 2013, we submitted a formal petition to the FDA, requesting the prohibition of menthol as a characterizing flavor of cigarettes. We will continue to advocate for laws ending the sale of flavored tobacco products at the state and local level and encourage the public to join us.