Menthol cigarettes are those that contain menthol , an alcohol obtained from the synthesis of plant oils such as peppermint or sunflower. In our body, this chemical substance acts on the endings of the nerves responsible for perceiving the sensation of cold, located in the skin and in the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and respiratory tract. Through this mechanism, menthol produces a sensation of freshness that leads some smokers to mistakenly think that menthol cigarettes are beneficial for health as they are attributed a lessening effect on throat irritation.
But the truth is that smoking this type of cigarettes poses a greater health risk by intensifying the addiction to tobacco, although it is not linked to an increased risk of disease. This is revealed by new research from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that ensures that if you consume menthol cigarettes it is easier to start smoking and more difficult to quit.
The FDA states that smokers of this type of tobacco are more likely to smoke their first cigarette five minutes after waking up, suggesting that the minty taste is linked to increased dependence. In addition, they are especially popular among young people, which poses a risk of advancing the age of initiation of the habit and aggravates the public health problem.
These results support those of the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which in 2011 already revealed the need to ban menthol tobacco. The administration, in its new awareness campaign, opens a 60-day period in which anyone can suggest regulatory options for this soft drug.
