The Bottom Line on Menthol

• Tobacco companies add menthol to make cigarettes seem less harsh and more appealing to new smokers and young people.

• Menthol cigarettes are not less harmful. They are just as dangerous as non-menthol cigarettes.

• Different groups of people—like some racial/ethnic minorities, LGBT people, people with mental health conditions, etc.—are more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes than the rest of the population. This is particularly true for African Americans.

• Some studies show that people who smoke menthol cigarettes have a harder time quitting smoking than those who smoke non-menthol cigarettes.

• We can help reduce menthol cigarette smoking and help people who smoke menthol cigarettes to quit with policies that limit where menthol cigarettes are sold and marketed, and by reaching out to groups that are more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes.