Tobacco industry report: Menthol cigarettes aren't riskier

Menthol cigarettes are marketed in a similar manner as regular cigarettes, although menthol products are "disproportionately" marketed to African-Americans, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel said in a partial draft report released Thursday.

The federal agency is considering banning the minty cigarette flavoring that makes menthols different from other smokes. Many health experts, including an FDA advisory panel, say consumers seem to think menthol flavoring offers health protection or benefits, and menthol cigarettes are disproportionately marketed to African Americans.

The tobacco industry sees menthols as a key area for growth in the shrinking cigarette market. The industry's draft report acknowledges that "all cigarettes are hazardous to health" and says there's no scientific basis to regulate menthols differently. The report concludes that menthol cigarettes don't make it easier for people to start or harder for them to quit or raise their risk of disease.

Menthol Not Shown to Raise Health Risks of Smoking, U.S. Draft Report Says

Smokers don’t face more risks of tobacco-related disease from menthol cigarettes than unflavored cigarettes, a U.S. advisory panel says in a preliminary report.

“The evidence is insufficient” to conclude that menthol smokers face a different disease risk than people who use regular cigarettes, said advisers to the Food and Drug Administration. Still, menthol may make smoking more addictive, the panelists said. The comments were posted yesterday on the FDA website in two draft chapters of a report the panel must submit by March 23.

The FDA advisers’ non-binding report is required by a 2009 law that restricts tobacco marketing and bars cigarette makers from adding flavors such as clove or strawberry. An FDA conclusion that menthol cigarettes are more dangerous than unflavored versions may lead to a ban.