2 research outputs found
Menthol’s Potential Effects on Nicotine Dependence: A White Paper
Publicly available internal tobacco industry documents were analyzed to answer the following questions regarding menthol’s role in nicotine dependence: 1) What are the addiction and exposure measures and what are their relationships to menthol cigarette use? 2) Do menthol smokers show different signs or levels of nicotine dependence compared to non-menthol smokers? 3) Does menthol affect cigarette consumption (cigarettes per day) and do menthol smokers smoke more or fewer cigarettes per day compared to non-menthol smokers? 4) What is menthols’ effect on nicotine metabolism (i.e. glucuronide formation) and do menthol smokers experience different nicotine exposure and/or altered nicotine metabolism as compared to non-menthol smokers? (i.e. serum cotinine levels) 5) Does menthol have an effect on nicotine delivery? 6) Does menthol alter the addictiveness of smoking through sensory stimulation? Tobacco industry documents reveal at least two important reasons for menthol’s use in cigarettes. A final collection of 309 documents was analyzed for this report, of which 72 were deemed relevant to one or more of the research questions and cited in this paper. Our analyses of these documents indicate 1) menthol is used in cigarettes to override the harsh taste of tobacco; 2) menthol has physiological effects, and it synergistically interacts with nicotine; 3) menthol makes low tar, low nicotine tobacco products that would otherwise be tasteless and unsatisfactory acceptable to smokers. Tobacco manufacturers manipulated menthol levels to produce tobacco products that would be easier to consume, especially for new and inexperienced smokers
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Menthol Sensory Qualities and Possible Effects on Topography: A White Paper
Publicly available internal tobacco industry documents were analyzed to answer the following questions regarding the sensory qualities of menthol and its possible effects on topography: 1) What properties does menthol contribute to the smoking experience? 2) Does menthol contribute to the sensory qualities of the smoke and affect smoking topography? 3) Do changes in smoking topography lead to greater exposure to toxic substances, increased nicotine dependence, or greater chance of tobacco-related disease? 4) What are the various ways menthol is measured and how are menthol yields determined? 5) Does the menthol content and/or yield have an effect on how the cigarette is smoked or cigarette preference? 6) What is the relationship between menthol and intensity in use of cigarettes (i.e., does menthol lead to a higher delivery of smoke per cigarette)? A final collection of 252 documents was analyzed for this report, of which 67 were deemed relevant to one or more of the research questions and cited in this paper. Our analyses of the documents indicate the following: 1) Menthol has cooling and anesthetic properties that moderate the harshness and irritation of tobacco; 2) Menthol contributes to the sensory qualities of the smoke and affects smoking behavior and cigarette preference depending on the level of menthol and nicotine in the cigarette; 3) It is unclear whether menthol’s effect on smoking behavior leads to greater exposure to toxic substances; 4) Menthol is measured in milligrams or micrograms that are distilled from a cigarette before and after smoking; 5) It is unclear whether the menthol content and/or yield have an effect on how a cigarette is smoked because most testing that we were able to locate in the documents was done on new mentholated products by in-house smoker panels; and 6) It is unclear what the tobacco industry knew about the relationship between menthol and intensity in use of cigarettes. The documents provide evidence that cigarette manufacturers not only use menthol as a flavorant, but also as an ingredient that has physiological effects, and synergistically interacts with nicotine