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Menthol cigarettes are difficult to quit. What would make it easier?

Date Visible: 
10/03/2022 - 9:45am

Media contact: Nicole Fawcett 734-764-2220 | Patients may contact Cancer AnswerLine™ 800-865-1125

Rogel Cancer Center teams up with state’s Tobacco Quitline to find new ways to help people quit menthol

close up a man's arms and hands as he breaks a cigarette in half
Image courtesy Getty Images

ANN ARBOR, Michigan — Menthol cigarettes are designed to make it easier to start smoking and harder to quit.

In Michigan, 40% of callers to the state’s Tobacco Quitline are menthol users. Now, a new partnership between the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and the Quitline will develop and test strategies to help menthol users kick the habit.

Menthol, a compound found in peppermint, gives smokers a cooling sensation when they inhale, which lessons the harshness of the tobacco. Menthol users tend to inhale more deeply, which means they ingest more nicotine and other carcinogens. This often leads to a stronger addiction.

Tobacco companies have historically promoted menthol most heavily to young people, women and people who are Black. In fact, more than 80% of smokers who are Black use menthol cigarettes, compared to 30% of smokers who are white.

“There is tremendous racial inequity in the use of menthol cigarettes, which has a significant impact on the health and wellness of communities across our state. Helping menthol users find the support they need to quit could save numerous lives.” said Lawrence An, M.D., director of the Center for Health Communications Research at the Rogel Cancer Center.

The center’s expertise is in creating tailored health interventions to prevent cancer and improve cancer outcomes. In partnership with the Quitline, An’s team will evaluate different strategies to aid menthol users in quitting.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is working with community partners across the state to address the special harms posed by menthol cigarettes.

“We welcome new innovations and are working together to create new methods to help Michigan residents who use menthol successfully quit,” said Karen S. Brown, MPA, tobacco dependence treatment coordinator at the MDHHS.

Resources:

  • End Menthol Campaign, http://endmenthol.org
  • Michigan Tobacco Quitline, 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669)
  • Cancer AnswerLine, 800-865-1125