share: That fresh, minty feeling! Menthol cigarettes are more addictive than any others
I remember when I was done fooling around with cigarettes and began a serious love affair with smoking, I chose menthol cigarettes. By that time, I was a pack-a-day 17 year old who enjoyed the "refreshing" taste of menthol with my tar!
When I moved countries I couldn't find my brand anymore and found it more difficult to switch back to regular cigarettes (although being the devoted smoker I was, I managed to adjust) because there was something fresher - even healthier about smoking a minty cigarette.
When we think of mint, we tend to think of cleanliness. Out toothpaste is minty, so is our mouth wash, and even some of our shampoos, body washes, face packs and soaps. It's all so...effervescent!
A new study has shown that menthol cigarettes are, in fact, much harder to quit than regular cigarettes. At a study done at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School showed that people smoking menthol cigarettes had HALF the success rate as smokers who smoked cigarettes of the non-menthol variety.
Researchers believe that even although smokers who prefer the menthol cigarettes smoke less, they find it much more difficult to quit. Since the mint flavoring masks the taste of tar, nicotine and poisons in cigarettes, there is less incentive to quit. The study concludes that this makes menthol cigarettes a far more dangerous choice.
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Do you smoke menthol cigarettes? Do you think you'll find it harder to quit?
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Add a Comment5 Comments
I am a menthol smoker and I certainly find it very hard to quit. I don't know the difference in rates of menthol and non-menthol smokers, personally, but I can certainly relate to the struggles.
Great share, thanks for the information.
January 17, 2009 - 10:17amThis Comment
Interesting. When I smoked, I started on menthol cigarettes & then switched. I heard that menthol cigarettes are worse for you. Does anyone know if that is true?
January 18, 2009 - 2:45pmI have smoked menthol cigarettes for about 18 years.
January 19, 2009 - 6:39amI totally agree with this! I would probably have a much easier time quitting if my brand of cigarettes were no longer sold.
I smoke methols and could quit tomorrow if I wanted. I think most addiction is in peoples mind as I have smoked for 5 years and have never had a problem going days without a cigarette if need be.
October 22, 2009 - 4:39pmI agree with you because menthol cigarettes are harder to quit than other cigarettes. I have seen teens prefer menthol cigarettes in my surrounding just for the reason that they mask nicotine. But personally i feel addiction to anything results in danger.
October 29, 2009 - 12:31amThanks for the information.