The ban will help many smokers.
As the Biden administration deliberates over the possibility of implementing a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes, recent research suggests such a measure could effectively encourage more people to quit smoking. A study published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research on Wednesday revealed that in areas where bans on menthol cigarettes were enacted, 24% of users quit smoking entirely within one to two years. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill arrived at this conclusion after reviewing previous studies on menthol bans in Canada and the Netherlands, also noting that half of menthol smokers switched to non-menthol cigarettes, while 24% continued using menthols.
The study also explored the potential impact of a menthol ban on smokers in areas without such restrictions. Findings indicated that approximately one-third of menthol smokers across various studies expressed intentions to quit or attempt to quit smoking if a ban were implemented, while only about a quarter anticipated switching to non-menthol cigarettes. Nearly 30% believed they would continue smoking menthols. Lead author Sarah Mills, an assistant professor at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Public Health, emphasized the significant implications of these findings, particularly in the United States, where approximately 43% of adult smokers used menthol products in 2020.
The potential effects of a menthol ban are particularly relevant to Black Americans, as over 80% of adult Black smokers used menthol cigarettes in 2020, compared to 34% of white smokers and over 50% of Hispanic smokers. Mills stressed the urgent need for regulatory action to support smokers in quitting and address the pervasive health risks associated with tobacco use.
Moreover, Mills and her colleagues conducted a comprehensive review indicating that rates of continued menthol use tended to be higher under state or local bans compared to a national ban, suggesting that a nationwide ban in the U.S. would be more effective. Currently, over 170 U.S. cities and two states—California and Massachusetts—have banned the sale of menthol cigarettes.
Despite concerns and opposition from various civil rights leaders and organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, federal officials have clarified that the FDA does not intend to enforce penalties against individual consumers for possessing or using menthol cigarettes. Advocates of harm reduction policies stress the importance of education, cessation programs, and accessible healthcare to address tobacco use without exacerbating disparities or risking criminalization within marginalized communities.
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