Menthol smokers ‘less likely to quit’

Although menthol cigarettes appear to be as harmful as non-menthol ones they may be harder to give up, a new study has found.

According to a study published in the September 25th issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, smokers of menthols may be less likely to attempt or succeed at quitting.

Researchers from the University of California analysed 1,535 smokers over a 15-year period in an attempt to understand why African-Americans tend to smoke less than their European counterparts but have disproportionately high rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other smoking-related illnesses.

Of the number studied, 972 (63 per cent) preferred menthol cigarettes and 563 (36 per cent) preferred non-menthol cigarettes, while 89 per cent of African Americans compared with 29 percent of European Americans smoked menthol cigarettes.

Those who smoked menthol cigarettes in 1985 were found to be more likely to still be smoking at follow-up examinations. For example, in 2000 69 per cent were still smokers compared to 54 per cent of non-menthol smokers.

This is thought to be due to the fact that African Americans were both more likely to smoke menthols and less likely to quit smoking.

Menthol smokers were found to be almost twice as likely to relapse after quitting and were also less likely to stop for a sustained period of time.

“Among smokers who tried to quit, menthol seemed unrelated to quitting, but menthol was associated with a lower likelihood of trying to quit in the first place,” the authors wrote.

“Mentholation of cigarettes does not seem to explain disparities in ischemic heart disease and obstructive pulmonary disease between African Americans and European Americans in the United States but may partially explain lower rates of smoking cessation among African American smokers,” they added.

“It is possible, therefore, that switching from menthol cigarettes to non-menthol cigarettes might facilitate subsequent smoking cessation, especially in African Americans, and thereby reduce tobacco-related health disparities.”