In June 2018, citizens of San Francisco voted overwhelmingly – with almost a 70 percent majority – to uphold a ban on flavored cigarettes. The measure had been proposed the previous summer, but a group of businesses and people in the industry challenged it. The challenge was spearheaded by R.J. Reynolds, which manufactures Newport, Camel, Doral, Eclipse, Kent, and Pall Mall, among others.
So what’s the big deal about flavored cigarettes? For one thing, critics say they are meant to be more appealing to kids. In 2009, most flavored cigarettes were banned as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. However, there are still other tobacco products like e-cigarettes and chewing tobacco that comes in a variety of flavors, most of which seem geared at attracting kids. Some of the typical flavors are gummy bear, berry blend, chocolate, peach, cotton candy, strawberry, and grape. Menthol, which has a peppermint flavor, is the most popular, and it is still allowed as a flavoring for traditional cigarettes. In 2011, the Food and Drug Administration’s Scientific Advisory Committee suggested that all menthol cigarettes be removed from the marketplace, an idea that was strongly supported by the American Lung Association. Unfortunately, it has yet to happen.
Apart from the dubious morality of marketing tobacco products to kids, it turns out that menthol cigarettes might actually be more dangerous than the regular kind. A study at the California Institute of Technology Pasadena found a link between menthol and something called nicotinic receptors, through which nicotine exerts its effects on the body. They found that exposing mice to menthol, even when there was no nicotine present, increased nicotinic receptors in the brain. That means that smokers had to inhale more and more just to get the same effects, which led to an ever-worsening cigarette addiction.
It also turns out that menthol cigarettes are harder to quit, and young people who smoke them are 80 percent more likely to become chronic smokers than those who use regular cigarettes. When menthol cigarettes first came on the market in the 1920s, they were advertised as being healthier and safer. Because menthol has a minty taste and leaves a cooling sensation in the mouth, ads tend to involve things like mountain springs. People who were not already smokers were targeted by these ads, and many of them began smoking under the assumption that menthol cigarettes were safer.
According to the CDC, menthol smokers may actually be exposed to more of the toxins in cigarettes, because they take bigger, longer puffs because the menthol cancels out the typical burning sensation in the mouth from cigarettes. Currently, the FDA is taking input from the public on whether menthol should be banned.
If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504 to get started.
