FDA: menthol cigarettes can be more addictive

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suggested that menthol cigarettes may be no more harmful than regular cigarettes, but can be more addictive.

The administration’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee’s draft report included no evidence that menthol cigarettes raise the risk of smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer. However, they reported that: “menthol has cooling and anaesthetic effects that reduce the harshness of cigarette smoke.” This could contribute to increased cigarette sales. The report also noted that menthol cigarettes may be more addictive, and may encourage young people to smoke more.

A final report on the issue will be presented to the FDA on March 23rd. The FDA has already banned fruit and spice flavoured cigarettes, due to concerns about their attractiveness to young smokers.

News agencies in New York are reporting that home-grown cigarettes are the latest ‘hipster craze’. The New York Times recently interviewed an ex-police officer who grows her own cigarettes by growing tobacco leaves in her garden, before drying them on the tin roof of her house.

Smoking is the biggest cause of premature death in America, killing 443,000 people each year, according to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC also estimates that 46 million people, or roughly 20% of all adults in the US, smoke cigarettes. Despite this high prevalence, around 60-70% of smokers say they would like to give up the habit. Speak to your doctor about the smoking cessation options that are available. They could include counselling, self help and medication, if willpower alone cannot overcome the urge to smoke.