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Menthol is used to hook young smokers


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I smoke so this is important to me. I don't endorse smoking, but I support the freedom to choose.

Tobacco companies manipulate the amount of menthol in cigarettes to make those first few puffs more palatable to young smokers, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday in a finding that could fuel support for more tobacco regulation.

"Menthol stimulates the cooling receptors in the lung and oral pharynx," said Dr. Gregory Connolly of the Harvard School of Public Health. "It makes smoking easier."

The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, comes as the U.S. Congress considers legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration broad authority to regulate tobacco.

It would appear this report is simply an effort to push support for federal regulation of the tobacco industry, not a scientific review of the menthol category," said David Howard, a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds, a unit of Reynolds American Inc (RAI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and maker of Camel and Kool cigarettes.

Lorillard Inc (LO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) spokesman Michael Robinson said in a statement: "The American public should view this report for what it is, a politically motivated lobbying tool."

The article is four pages long, but these paragraphs sum it up well. What do you think? Comment below.
Psychedelic

60 responses // Menthol is used to hook young smokers

  • Big Tobacco has been targeting youngsters for years,
    and the FDA, well as for them, all I have to say is 'Chinese Lead'.
    Big tobacco helps the Govt make big money, so I doubt they'll be pulling menthol's anytime soon, I smoke clove cigarettes anyway, no nicotine and no fiberglass like the menthol's.
    Bigdog_mike
    4 responses to this
  • I always thought that making cigarette minty fresh was a bit of weird combination, maybe this is their reasoning behind it.

    I can honestly say though, menthol cigarettes taste like a minty ashtray, I'd much rather have a standard ashtray anyday.
    mattbrawn
  • They are so many fewer people smoking these days - or that's what it seems like in the UK.

    Desperate tactics by the tabacco firms ...
    emmahill
  • im still waiting for a bubble gum flavored cig
    riverdeer
  • mmmm... minty

    its like brushing your teeth and getting your nicotine fix at the same time!

    talk about multi-tasking
    RoBot_rOcKer
  • http://www.cigarettesforless.com/vogue.html
    Yes, and they target women with these scented, super slims. What's your point? That it's wrong? That it's harmful? That marketing techniques play on the subconscious and don't tell the entire story or corporate agenda? Welcome to the world. They're interested in new consumers across their entire portfolio and make sure they have enough variants that one will stick if you're damn fool enough to start.
    dearmat23
  • I do smoke, but I could never stand menthol cigarettes. I would rather do without, I never saw how anyone could stand them. I do love how the Congressional Black Caucus is hot on this issue because more blacks smoke menthols. I've come to the conclusion that everything is racial in this country.
    JohnA
  • Mint flavored death. I will never understand why people smoke.... not ever. After watching both my parents die from cancer because they did I understand why even less. Living in denial seems to be human nature.
    JanforGore
  • YES SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH.
    The tax alone will kill you.Still people smoke.
    If everyone quit what would we do wih the thousands
    of tobacco workers?How we going to re coop the lost tax dollars(NYS) would be bankrupt.So many things are bad for us but being hedonist's we seek pleasure in all forms.
    Leave us alone The government has better things to do.
    regularrf
    2 responses to this
  • http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/15/5...
    This limited addition pack says it all. The strategy is so cynical and apparent that it's almost laughable.

    Here's a very old marketing brief, so really a very old story, this dates from 75 -

    Results: Brown & Williamson started Kool sponsorship of musical events in 1975 with Kool Jazz concerts. Music was considered to be an effective marketing tool because: (1) music helped consumers make emotional connections with the brand; (2) music concerts were effective for targeted marketing; (3) music tied together an integrated marketing campaign; and (4) music had potential to appeal widely to a young audience. Brown & Williamson’s first music campaigns successfully targeted young African-American male audiences. Subsequent campaigns were less effective, exploring different types of music to achieve a broader young adult appeal.
    dearmat23
  • BTW Psychedelic, what's your smoke or choice? Bet your bottom dollar that there's big money targeting you behind that brands appeal, no matter what you tell yourself.
    dearmat23
    2 responses to this
  • mmmm, delicious.
    jh64487
  • I can't feel sorry for smokers.

    The only time I've ever felt sorry for them was when they banned smoking here in Houston. I thought that was the dumbest idea ever. Bars and clubs = smoking. Everyone knew that. Don't like it...don't go.

    But this....this is smokers supporting the government by buying those smokes. There's never going to be a way around this, ever.
    J_Jammer
    5 responses to this
  • What?! The Cigarette industry tries to HOOK people into smoking? Man, you can't even rely on the good guys any more...

    I would feel sorry for smokers if they weren't so well informed that 1. They are highly addictive and 2. They'll kill you at a young age. Anyone stupid enough to light up and complain about it is just that.
    rwylie
    4 responses to this
  • no shit
    Prijedor
  • I'm sorry, but no one is sticking a gun to your head, forcing you to smoke. Freedom also means freedom to make an intelligent decision to smoke or not to smoke.

    We have all the facts, it would be stupid to think that people who smoke today are ignorant of the side effects.

    Let the smokers do as they like, as long as it doesn't INTERFERE with the non-smokers. But please don't act like smokers can't make a decision for themselves.
    egarlow
    2 responses to this
  • This is not a question about smoking being wrong, it's about the tobacco companies hooking more people. Its disgusting how can they be allowed to do it?
    thekingbeyond
    1 response to this
  • Someone once told me smoking is just passive aggressive suicide...you know it will kill you but you do it anyway!
    singrrr
  • i tried to purposely get addicted to cigarettes as an experiment. I couldn't do it. and I don't think menthols would have helped. smoking is ridiculous, waste of money and waste of life, but people do it AND know all the facts about it. Why do these studies pop up like consumers have no idea what they're doing to their body. Come on, D.A.R.E. spelled it out for me when I was 5 years old.
    samonster34
    2 responses to this
  • And what's up with all the smoke free living establishments going on
    If I buy a place to live in, I don't want anyone telling what I can and can't do.
    Bigdog_mike
  • Obviously it's used to hook young smokers, older smokers generally hate menthol's. I had to reply :)
    cigarettezack
    1 response to this
  • The cigarette companies are totally menthol to think that they can get away with this.
    rwylie
  • The first cigs i ever smoked were newports, no amount of menthol could make a newport 'easier' to smoke. I'm proud to say i've weened myself off to ultralights, and the only benefit of those is that less people bum from me.
    mookster_07
    2 responses to this
  • Camel Turkish Royals are the closest thing to Davidoffs ( which you can only buy at a few duty free shops in the US ) . if you're too lazy to roll your own , and want to at least die in a quality fashion Camel Turkish Royals are ace.
    malathion
  • Camel makes a cigarette called the crush. Its a plain cigarette with a menthol ball near the filter. You can smoke it as a regular or squeeze the filter and crush the ball which releases the menthol liquid. Maybe they think that's like a transitional smoke for the 20 something crowd. Conspiracy :}
    Psychedelic
    1 response to this
  • and african americans
    clayjj05
  • i'm surprised there're no health warnings on these.. I mean, surely they still contain tar or something?
    purplefox
  • What a messed up world we live in. Grown ass men making a product to kill kids...slow! Its one thing being grown and stupid (for making such a product) but to intentionally target kids thats just f*cked up.
    Azucena
  • From experience I see menthol Cigarettes being smoked by African Americans for then any other race. Sure the Idea that mint is more attractive to young teens than adults makes a littles sense. All an all it's not the flavor but more the added chemicals that's more important to the big heads. So who could they really be focused on? I'll go with any human.
    TheNome
    1 response to this
  • I just don't see what the story is here. 'Corporation develops product to attract new consumers' is hardly a conspiracy. All the time it is not illegal to sell a product the company will try to grow it's market share. What is illegal is marketing tobacco to those under the legal age but that is just a technical loop hole, as long as they don't openly or expressly do it then the companies aren't breaking any laws. I'm not defending it but I can't see how anyone is surprised by this.
    dearmat23
  • Within our so-called civilized countries companies are allowed to manufacture, advertise and distribute products that, if used according to the recommended instructions cause pain and death. Tobacco, Alcohol, Pharmaceuticals, Chemical Sprays, Fast Foods, Cars.
    dearmat23
  • menthol cigaretts are nothing new, my granmonthers been smoking them for as long as she can remeber.

    What I think is more harrowing is the likes of Beyonce etc who's sole mission in life appears to be to encourage chilhood obesit and a world wide diabetes epidemic.
    teddy14
  • I actually used to intern at Philip Morris right around the time when they came up with a new ad campaign to target younger smokers (aged 18-27). The whole campaign was focused on making the Philip Morris Menthols more appealing to their age group.

    Research also shows that people may prefer to smoke menthols over regular cigarettes because they don't feel the need to chew gum or brush their teeth afterwards. After all, the minty "fresh" feeling is somewhat there already.
    KCKate
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