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.
Tell Us
Do you smoke menthol cigarettes? Do you think you'll find it harder to quit?