Menthol has firm grip on smokers - but will Hong Kong ban them?
It is harder for people to give up the cool and mint-flavoured cigarettes, shows a study
Smokers of menthol cigarettes in Hong Kong are likely to find it harder to quit than if they smoked regular cigarettes, according to a new study.
But they may be forced to ditch the minty tobacco if Hong Kong follows Europe's lead by banning them altogether.
These may be a gateway for people who want to try smoking, but don't find the taste of normal cigarettes all that pleasurable. Flavoured cigarettes make it easier to get addicted
The mint-flavoured cigarettes do not appear to be linked to a higher risk of disease, but they are likely to pose a higher public health risk than non-menthol ones, said a review of scientific data by a US government agency.
The findings could lead to tougher regulations on menthol cigarettes in the United States. The European parliament approved a ban on menthol and strongly flavoured cigarettes as part of measures aimed at curbing smoking in the European Union.
In Hong Kong, menthol cigarettes have 26 per cent of the market share, according to a survey, while other surveys show more women than men prefer menthol cigarettes. Low tar menthol cigarettes attract a higher proportion of young adult women.
Researchers discovered that menthol cigarettes were appealing to women who wanted cigarettes with less tar, a weaker tobacco taste and smell.
In Hong Kong, the number of smokers dropped in the past two decades, hitting a low in 2010 when only 11.1 per cent of the people smoked daily.