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Banning the sale of menthol cigarettes may have unintended consequences, according to a study published April 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The FDA plans to issue a proposed rule banning menthol cigarettes this spring. Part of the purpose of the measure is to address health disparities, as African-Americans smoke menthol cigarettes at a much higher rate than whites, and African-American men have higher rates of lung cancer incidence and mortality.
According to the FDA, nearly 85 percent of non-Hispanic black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes, compared to 30 percent of non-Hispanic white smokers. The agency also believes that menthol-flavored cigarettes are more addictive and harder to quit than non-menthol-flavored cigarettes.
However, the Vanderbilt researchers' study showed that smoking cessation rates were generally similar for menthol and non-menthol smokers, with no statistically significant differences between white and African American participants.
The researchers followed 16,425 smokers who entered the study between 2002 and 2009 and completed a follow-up survey between 2008 and 2012, 2012-2015 and 2015-2017. In these surveys, the average annual quit rate was 4.3% for menthol smokers and 4.5% for non-menthol smokers.
Previous research by the Vanderbilt team has shown that non-smokers have a higher risk of developing lung cancer. They also cite research from Canada banning menthol-flavored cigarettes, which showed that most menthol smokers tend to switch to non-menthol brands rather than quit.
"If available epidemiological data show that menthol smokers have a lower risk of lung cancer than non-menthol smokers, then in the long run, the ban may generate a Unintended consequences. At least for lung cancer, the risk is increased rather than decreased," the researchers noted in the study.
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The FDA plans to issue a proposed rule banning menthol cigarettes this spring. Part of the purpose of the measure is to address health disparities, as African-Americans smoke menthol cigarettes at a much higher rate than whites, and African-American men have higher rates of lung cancer incidence and mortality.
According to the FDA, nearly 85 percent of non-Hispanic black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes, compared to 30 percent of non-Hispanic white smokers. The agency also believes that menthol-flavored cigarettes are more addictive and harder to quit than non-menthol-flavored cigarettes.
However, the Vanderbilt researchers' study showed that smoking cessation rates were generally similar for menthol and non-menthol smokers, with no statistically significant differences between white and African American participants.
The researchers followed 16,425 smokers who entered the study between 2002 and 2009 and completed a follow-up survey between 2008 and 2012, 2012-2015 and 2015-2017. In these surveys, the average annual quit rate was 4.3% for menthol smokers and 4.5% for non-menthol smokers.
Previous research by the Vanderbilt team has shown that non-smokers have a higher risk of developing lung cancer. They also cite research from Canada banning menthol-flavored cigarettes, which showed that most menthol smokers tend to switch to non-menthol brands rather than quit.
"If available epidemiological data show that menthol smokers have a lower risk of lung cancer than non-menthol smokers, then in the long run, the ban may generate a Unintended consequences. At least for lung cancer, the risk is increased rather than decreased," the researchers noted in the study.
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