Commercial Tobacco Prevention and Treatment Program: Menthol

The truth about menthol in commercial tobacco products

• Menthol is a chemical that is naturally found in mint plants. It can also be created in a lab.
• Menthol is added to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products because its minty, cooling effect helps hide their harshness.
• Menthol additives allow for deeper inhales and reduces airway pain and irritation.
• Menthol makes cigarettes and other products more addictive because it enhances the effect of nicotine on the brain and makes it harder to quit smoking.

For decades, commercial tobacco companies have targeted certain communities with menthol, including African Americans, LGBTQ+ groups, low-income populations, and young people. The commercial tobacco industry uses indoor and outdoor ads, sponsorship of cultural events, retail promotions, and free samples to attract new users.

While the overall number of cigarettes sold in the U.S. has declined significantly since 1980, the share of menthols sales has increased over the last decade to 37 percent of the market among major manufacturers. (Federal Trade Commission 2020 Cigarette Report)

The impact of menthol

Increased initiation

• In Wisconsin, each year, 10,200 youth under the age of 18 will try cigarettes for the first time—many will start with menthol.
• Young people who start using menthol cigarettes are more likely to become addicted and become long-term daily smokers.

Long-term addiction

• Menthol is used by 9 in 10 African Americans in Wisconsin who smoke, and 85% nationally.
• The adult smoking rate for African Americans in Wisconsin is 30%, nearly triple the rate for Whites.

Harmful health effects

• Smoking is a major contributor of the three leading causes of death for African Americans: heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
• Tobacco use kills 45,000 African Americans annually in the United States. Nearly 90% of deaths are related to menthol tobacco usage.

Eliminating menthol would save lives

The 2009 Tobacco Control Act banned all flavoring in cigarettes—except menthol. 

For high schoolers who ever tried cigarettes in Wisconsin, 58.1% would probably or definitely not try tobacco products if they were not flavored (Wisconsin Youth Tobacco Survey)

If menthol cigarettes were no longer available in Wisconsin, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that 17,200 additional adults in Wisconsin who smoke would quit smoking. (State Menthol Facts | Smoking & Tobacco Use | CDC)

Research studies show that removing menthol tobacco from the market would save 654,000 lives in the U.S., including more than 250,000 Black lives, within 40 years.

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The word "tobacco" on this page refers to commercial tobacco, not traditional Native American tobacco.

Traditional tobacco is sacred medicine for healing; making offerings to the Creator; and given as spiritual gifts to express gratitude, show respect, and ask for prayers or advice. Commercial tobacco ("tobacco") is a corruption of traditional tobacco into dangerous recreational commodities like cigarettes, vapes, and chewing tobacco.