In canada, ban on menthol cigarettes had more smokers quitting

If the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration needs to know whether or not it ought to comply with via on its proposed menthol cigarette ban, it want solely look to Canada for a solution.

A brand new research finds that Canada’s ban on menthol cigarettes appeared to drive extra people who smoke to give up, with total cigarette gross sales dipping after the regulation took maintain.

Researchers discovered that after menthol ban went into impact, gross sales of these cigarettes took an unsurprising plunge. However there was additionally a discount in total cigarette gross sales, of slightly below 5%.

The findings counsel that the ban is having its meant impact, stated lead researcher Michael Chaiton, of the Ontario Tobacco Analysis Unit and the College of Toronto.

In the US, the place menthol cigarettes are way more fashionable, the same ban might have a fair larger influence, Chaiton famous.

Final April, the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration stated it will search to ban menthol cigarettes, although no efficient date was given and no motion has but been taken. Different flavored cigarettes have been banned in 2009.

Tobacco firms add menthol to cigarettes as a result of it has cooling properties and takes the sting off cigarette smoke’s harshness.

“It makes the poison go down simpler,” defined Erika Sward, assistant vice chairman of nationwide advocacy for the American Lung Affiliation.

Public well being advocates have lengthy pushed for a menthol ban, citing the merchandise as significantly insidious.

That is partly as a result of they attraction to children, and act as a “starter product,” Sward stated. And in the US, she added, cigarette firms have spent many years concentrating on individuals of colour of their menthol product advertising.

Sward, who was not concerned within the new research, stated it “gives worthwhile data” on what might occur if the US follows via on a menthol cigarette ban.

“Cigarette gross sales went down throughout the board, and that is necessary,” she stated.

The findings have been printed Nov. 9 within the journal JAMA Community Open.

Canada’s nationwide menthol ban went into impact in October 2017, although some provinces instituted their very own previous to that.

The hope is that such measures will push extra menthol people who smoke to lastly give up. And former analysis has advised that is the case. Nonetheless, a ban might additionally merely trigger menthol people who smoke to change to non-menthol cigarettes.

“That is the primary query we have been making an attempt to handle on this research,” Chaiton stated.

The researchers targeted on the ban’s influence on cigarette gross sales, utilizing wholesale information reported by producers to Canada’s nationwide well being institute between 2010 and 2018.

They discovered that nationally, total cigarette gross sales declined by 4.6% post-ban, versus the prior 12 months. There have been additionally gross sales declines inside every province, although the figures assorted extensively.

Sward stated she’d prefer to know extra concerning the causes for the variance amongst provinces. Had been some taking extra measures that others weren’t?

“Eradicating menthol cigarettes from the market is a large step ahead,” Sward stated.

Nevertheless it’s additionally important, she added, to make sure that people who smoke know the right way to entry assist to finish their nicotine dependancy. It isn’t clear from this research, Sward famous, what drove the decline in total gross sales: Was it as a result of menthol people who smoke have been quitting?

A research earlier this 12 months did discover proof of that. It discovered that after Canada’s nationwide ban took maintain, extra menthol people who smoke stated they’d tried to give up, versus non-menthol people who smoke.

The researchers on that research estimated that in the US, the place there are about 19 million menthol people who smoke, a ban might spur over 900,000 individuals to give up. That would come with over 200,000 Black Individuals.

“That will be a really huge intervention,” Chaiton stated.

Sward stated that people who smoke who need to give up can get free assist from the federal government “quitlines” that function in each U.S. state. It typically takes a number of makes an attempt earlier than a smoker efficiently quits. However they stand the most effective probability, Sward stated, in the event that they use the quitlines, or different counseling, together with one of many medicines which can be authorized by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration for smoking cessation.


Lesbian, homosexual, bisexual people who smoke are at a better threat for smoking menthol cigarettes


Extra data:
The American Lung Affiliation has assist for individuals who need to give up smoking.

Michael Chaiton et al, Evaluation of Wholesale Cigarette Gross sales in Canada After Menthol Cigarette Bans, JAMA Community Open (2021). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.33673

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