The effect of menthol on cigarette smoking behaviors, biomarkers and subjective responses

Abstract

Background: As part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration charged the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee with developing a report and recommendations about the effect of menthol in cigarettes on the public health. The purpose of this study was to examine smoking behaviors, biomarkers of exposure, and subjective responses when switching from a novel menthol cigarette to a non-menthol cigarette to isolate the effect of menthol and to approximate the effect a menthol ban might have on smokers.

Methods: Thirty-two adult smokers completed this 35-day randomized, open-label, laboratory study. After a 5-day baseline period, participants were randomized to the experimental group (n = 22) where they would smoke menthol Camel crush for 15 days followed by 15 days of non-menthol Camel crush, or the control group (n = 10) where they smoked their own brand cigarette across all periods. Participants attended study visits every 5 days and completed measures of smoking rate, smoking topography, biomarkers of exposure, and subjective responses.

Results: Although total puff volume tended to increase when the experimental group switched from menthol to non-menthol (P = 0.06), there were no corresponding increases in cigarette consumption or biomarkers of exposure (P > 0.1). Subjective ratings related to taste and smell decreased during the non-menthol period (P < 0.01), compared with the menthol.

Conclusions: Results suggest menthol has minimal impact on smoking behaviors, biomarkers of exposure, and subjective ratings.

Impact: When controlling for all other cigarette design features, menthol in cigarettes had minimal effect on outcome measures.

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: There are no actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest with this manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1

Total puff volume across all visits for each condition. Values are adjusted means and standard errors. Vertical dashed lines represent the switch from baseline to crush and from crush to no crush periods.

Figure 2

Subjective ratings related to taste and flavor across all periods for each condition. Panel (A) Taste, panel (B) Too Mild, panel (C) Did Not Leave a Good Taste, and panel (D) Smoke Smell. Values are adjusted means and standard errors.