Menthol cigarettes may be harder to quit, raising regulation questions

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A man smokes next to a "No Smoking" sign in Shanghai. China is the largest consumer of tobacco. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:43am, 24 Jul 2013Updated: 1:10pm, 24 Jul 2013

Menthol cigarettes are harder to quit than regular cigarettes, according to a new review of scientific data.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday that although the mint-flavoured cigarettes do not appear linked to a higher risk of disease, they likely pose “a public health risk above that seen with non-menthol cigarettes”. The US agency said it was considering regulations that could affect sales.

The news may be of particular significance in mainland China and Hong Kong, where a high proportion of people smoke.

China is the largest consumer of tobacco in the world, according to the World Health Organisation's Global Adult Tobacco Survey. An estimated 28.1 per cent of adults in China (52.9 per cent of men and 2.4 per cent of women) were smokers in 2010, and of those, 85.6 per cent lighted up daily.

Menthol smokers appear to be more nicotine dependent than non-menthol smokers

FDA Review

A US study in 2004 found that menthol cigarettes had a 26 per cent market share in Hong Kong, with other surveys indicating that smoking menthol cigarettes is more common among women than men.

Japanese and US researchers reported in 2010 that low tar menthol cigarettes attracted a higher proportion of young adult women in markets where there were increasing numbers of young adult female smokers, including Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

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