Smoking myth: menthol cigarettes are no less harmful

Researchers have claimed that teens who use menthol cigarettes smoke more cigarettes per day than their peers who smoke non-menthols. The appeal stems from the perception that they are less harmful than regular cigarettes.

Researchers have claimed that teens who use menthol cigarettes smoke more cigarettes per day than their peers who smoke non-menthols.The findings from the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact at the University of Waterloo mark the first time that menthol cigarettes have been directly linked to elevated nicotine addiction among youth.



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Sunday Azagba, a scientist at Propel and lead author on the paper, said the appeal of menthol cigarettes among youth stems from the perception that they are less harmful than regular cigarettes.

The minty taste helps mask the noxious properties, but the reality is that they are just as dangerous as any unflavoured cigarette.

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Research shows that the majority of long-term adult smokers start smoking during their adolescence. The national Youth Smoking Survey has found that 32 per cent of smokers in high school smoke menthols.

The study has been published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control.