With a federal menthol ban looming, tobacco companies push ‘non-menthol’ substitutes

By Yuki Noguchi, NPR

A long-awaited federal ban on menthol cigarettes and cigars remains in limbo, after the White House delayed finalizing a proposed rule until at least this month.

In states like California and Massachusetts where such restrictions already exist, tobacco companies are launching new menthol-like products to try to sidestep regulations.

These new “non-menthol” tobacco products mimic traditional menthols; they contain a different chemical additive with a similar cooling effect, and often come branded and packaged, much like their menthol predecessors.

Robert Jackler, a Stanford doctor and tobacco marketing expert, calls them, “non-menthol – wink, wink – menthol,” meaning that the confusing similarities between menthol and their new substitutes are intentional.

He says it’s the tobacco industry’s attempt to hang on to the existing menthol market in the face of bans, which makes up 40% of smokers.

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A menthol ban would have particular impact on Black communities, which tobacco companies heavily target with marketing of menthol products, contributing to a higher rate of cancer deaths.

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