Menthol cigarette
Encyclopedia
A menthol cigarette is a cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...

 flavored with the compound menthol
Menthol
Menthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is -menthol, which is assigned...

, a substance which triggers the cold-sensitive nerves in the skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...

 without actually providing a drop in temperature.

Menthol cigarettes have also been shown to inhibit nicotine
Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...

 metabolism, causing "systemic enhancement in exposure to nicotine".

Origins

Menthol cigarettes were first developed by Lloyd “Spud” Hughes in 1925, though the idea did not become popular until the Axton-Fisher Tobacco Company acquired the patent in 1927, marketing them nationwide as "Spud Menthol Cooled Cigarettes". Spud brand menthol cigarettes went on to become the 5th most popular brand in the U.S. by 1932 , and it remained the only menthol cigarette on the market until the Brown & Williamson
Brown & Williamson
Brown & Williamson was an American tobacco company and subsidiary of the giant British American Tobacco, that produced several popular cigarette brands. It became infamous as the focus of investigations for chemically enhancing the addictiveness of cigarettes...

 Tobacco Company created the Kool
KOOL (cigarette)
KOOL is a brand of menthol cigarette currently produced by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, introduced in 1933, that has marketed itself towards the "sophisticated man". Originally introduced as an unfiltered "regular" size cigarette, filtered 85 mm king-size versions were later added to...

 brand in 1933. R.J. Reynolds Company launched the first menthol filter-tip cigarettes in 1950 under the Salem
Salem (cigarette)
Salem is a brand of cigarettes introduced in 1956 by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company as the first filter-tipped menthol cigarette. Its name derives from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the city where RJR was founded and headquartered...

 brand. In the United States, brands include:Newports
Newport (cigarette)
Newport, introduced in 1957, is a brand of menthol cigarettes produced by Lorillard Tobacco Company of Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Newports comprise about 35 percent of menthol cigarette sales in the US. Newports have gained a commanding share of the African-American market; a 2005...

, Marlboro Menthol, American Spirits Menthol, Misty, Consulate, Pall Mall
Pall Mall (cigarette)
Pall Mall cigarettes are a brand of cigarettes produced by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and internationally by British American Tobacco at multiple sites.- History :...

 Menthol and Camel
Camel (cigarette)
Camel is a brand of cigarettes that was introduced by American company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in the summer of 1913. Most current Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco. Early in 2008 the blend was changed as was the package design.-History:In 1913, R.J...

 Menthol, Camel Crush. In the UK there are a number of cigarette brands who sell menthol variants, such as: Lambert & Butler
Lambert & Butler
Lambert & Butler is a British cigarette brand launched in 1979. The brand sells £1.379 billion worth of cigarettes every year. Due to Imperial Tobacco not owning the copyright on the original name, Lambert & Butler is known in some countries as L&B or Great & British...

, John Player & Sons
John Player & Sons
John Player & Sons, known simply as Player's, was a tobacco and cigarette manufacturer based in Nottingham, England. It is today a part of the Imperial Tobacco Group.-History:...

, Sterling
Sterling (cigarette)
Sterling are a British cigarette brand owned by parent company the Gallaher Group, which became a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco in 2007.-About:...

, Mayfair
Mayfair (cigarette)
Mayfair is a brand of cigarettes, produced by Gallaher Group. The brand is available in seven versions; Fine King Size, King Size, King Size Smooth, Menthol, Superkings, Superkings Menthol and Superkings Smooth. Gallaher launched Mayfair in 1992, with the slogan "A good smoke at a fair price". ...

, and Richmond
Richmond (cigarette)
Richmond are a value brand of tobacco cigarettes re-introduced into UK markets in 1999. They come in the following varieties: Regular, Gold and Menthol - all three in King Size and Superking sizes...

.

Use and popularity

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's 2006 Cigarette Report, menthol cigarettes constitute 20% of the American market, down from 27% from 2002-2005. Additionally, menthol cigarettes are purchased disproportionately by African-American smokers, with 80% of African-American smokers consuming menthol cigarettes primarily.

A 2008 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to...

 indicates that 33.9 percent of smokers use menthol cigarettes, compared to 31 percent in 2004. Much of the increase comes from young people.

Regulation

Although the use of menthol in ointments and cough drops is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States of America, regulation of cigarettes was removed from their purview in 2000 by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling, FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp.
FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp.
FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., is an important case in the development of American administrative law.-Legal principle:The scope of authority held by an agency is determined by the agency's organic statute...

  In October 2009, the United States Congress passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is a United States federal law that gives the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate the tobacco industry...

, which gave the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products and ban flavor additives, although the act contained an exception for menthol.

On March 18, 2011 the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee
Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee
The Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee is an advisory panel of the United States Food and Drug Administration organized to provide advice, information and recommendations to the FDA commissioner on matters related to the regulation of tobacco products...

 (an advisory panel to the FDA) concluded that removing menthol cigarettes from the market would benefit public health in the United States, but stopped short of recommending that the Food and Drug Administration take any specific actions, like restricting or banning the additive. In response, the tobacco industry released a report to the FDA claiming menthol cigarettes are no riskier than regular cigarettes and should not be regulated differently.

A progress report on panel findings is expected from the FDA in July 2011.

Opposition to proposed ban

Several minority groups have voiced opposition to a proposed ban on menthol in cigarettes. The Congress of Racial Equality
Congress of Racial Equality
The Congress of Racial Equality or CORE was a U.S. civil rights organization that originally played a pivotal role for African-Americans in the Civil Rights Movement...

, the National Black Chamber of Commerce
National Black Chamber of Commerce
The National Black Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in 1993 by Harry Alford and Kay DeBow, who in 2011 continue as President/CEO and Executive Vice President, respectively. Harry Alford is also a Board member of the United States Chamber of Commerce. It is organized as a 5013 corporation and...

, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives is a membership group of primarily black law enforcement CEOs and command level officials in local, state, county, and federal government. Headquartered in Washington, DC, it has 57 chapters in the United States, one in St...

, and the National Black Police Association
National Black Police Association
The National Black Police Association is a police support organisation, founded in November 1999, which seeks to improve the working environment of Black and Minority Ethnic staff in UK police forces, to enhance racial harmony and the quality of service to all communities of the United...

 have urged the FDA to reject a ban on mentholated cigarettes due to concerns that banning mentholated cigarettes could spur an illicit market for the outlawed products in minority communities. Groups representing law enforcement officers also oppose the ban.
The Law Enforcement Alliance of America
Law Enforcement Alliance of America
The Law Enforcement Alliance of America is a non-profit, non-partisan, conservative gun rights corporation in the United States, headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C. in Springfield, Virginia. Its membership is composed of active duty and retired law enforcement officers, crime victims,...

 and the National Troopers Coalition have urged the FDA to consider the impact a ban on menthol cigarettes would have on tobacco smuggling.

The proposed menthol ban also saw opposition from organized labor. In December 2010, workers from the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union protested outside a meeting between FDA officials and industry representatives in Raleigh, NC, arguing that a menthol ban would cost many workers their jobs.

Additionally, the National Association of Convenience Stores
National Association of Convenience Stores
NACS is an international trade association representing the convenience and fuel retailing industry.-Background:NACS was founded August 14, 1961, as the National Association of Convenience Stores. It is an international trade association representing more than 2,100 retail and 1,500 supplier...

opposes the ban based on menthol cigarettes accounting for 4% of their sales.

External links

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