Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: In 2009, Congress included in the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) 1 a key provision that banned flavors in cigarettes to protect young people.Menthol, as a characterizing flavoring, was exempted, despite evidence at that time of its appeal to young people, including industry documents outlining how tobacco companies manipulated menthol in cigarettes to promote youth initiation. 2 In one of the first studies of its kind, East et al 3 examined menthol smoking in repeated cross-sectional surveys between 2018 to 2020 among young people, aged 16 to 19 years, who smoke cigarettes in 3 countries, including Canada, where a ban was put into place in 2017; England, where a ban was implemented during the study period; and the US, where there was no national ban.The research demonstrates that menthol smoking among young people who smoke declined considerably in England after the ban. 3 Moreover, the authors highlight low stable prevalence of menthol smoking in Canada, demonstrating a clear association of the ban with reducing menthol smoking among young smokers.3 Finally, they found no evidence that those in Canada sought illicit menthol products.
Source: JAMA Network Open
Author: Cristine D. Delnevo
Institutions: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers Health
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,000
Awards: G2247449657, G9000325048
OpenAlex ID: W4225328398