Ban on mint e-liquids: what would happen?

 

A recent U.S. study examined how current smokers of menthol cigarettes or flavored cigars and current users of flavored e-cigarettes may react to three hypothetical flavoring ban scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: Ban on mentholated cigarettes and flavored cigars only;
  • Scenario 2: Ban on e-cigarettes with all non-tobacco flavors except menthol;
  • Scenario 3: banning e-cigarettes with all non-tobacco flavors, including menthol.

Methodologically, respondents were asked whether they would stop all tobacco and nicotine use or continue or start using products that are still legally available. Their responses were statistically processed and analyzed. The results indicate that a ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars would reduce smoking. However, it is unclear whether adding a ban on mentholated e-cigarettes would result in additional benefits, as without mentholated e-cigarettes as an alternative, some smokers and e-cigarette users may switch to using unflavored tobacco, rather than giving up tobacco use altogether.

Should menthol e-cigarettes be banned ? Reaction of adult smokers and users of e-cigarettes to hypothetical bans. Yong Yang & coll. Tobacco Control, Novembre 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc-2022-057439

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