Study Reveals Continued Menthol Cigarette Use In Great Britain Despite Ban Efforts
Menthol cigarettes continue to be used across Great Britain despite ban, what is going on and is the ban working?
![New research conducted by scientists at UCL finds that the ban of cigarette sales in UK might not have been as effective as first thought New research conducted by scientists at UCL finds that the ban of cigarette sales in UK might not have been as effective as first thought](https://services.meteored.com/img/article/study-reveals-continued-menthol-cigarette-use-despite-great-britain-ban-efforts-1714396234064_1024.jpg)
One in seven adults who smoke in Great Britain continue to use menthol-flavoured cigarettes, despite fresh legislation aimed at curbing their use, fresh research has revealed.
The legislation, introduced in May 2020, banned cigarettes with a "characterising flavour" but did not prohibit menthol or its derivatives as ingredients in cigarettes and accessories.
However, new research conducted by scientists at University College London (UCL), published in the journal Tobacco Control finds that the ban might not have been as effective as first thought.
The study analysed survey responses from 66,868 adults in England, Wales, and Scotland between October 2020 and March 2023, five months after the ban was implemented. Its findings showed that at the beginning of the study period, 16% of adult smokers reported using menthol-flavoured cigarettes.
However, the study's end, this figure remained stable at 14%, equating to nearly one million individuals still using menthol-flavoured cigarettes.
Ineffective ban
Menthol cigarettes are popular among young people for their perceived milder taste and easier inhalation, leading to misconceptions about their reduced harm compared to non-flavoured cigarettes.
The study made use of data from the Smoking Toolkit Study, interviewed a sample of 2,450 adults in Great Britain each month, representative of the general population.
While the prevalence of menthol cigarette smoking remained relatively stable in England and Scotland, it decreased by two-thirds in Wales, albeit with less certainty due to a smaller sample size.
Senior author of the study, Professor Jamie Brown - from the UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care - noted the need for a comprehensive ban on menthol and its derivatives in all tobacco-related products for regulation to be effective.
“The UK’s menthol ban does not appear to have been effective – we have found that there are still around one million people who report smoking menthol-flavoured cigarettes in Britain, three years after the ‘ban’ came into force. Nor has there been much sign of progress during that period," he said.
"For an effective ban, menthol and all its analogues and derivatives should be completely prohibited in all tobacco-related products and accessories.”
Closing the gap on legal loopholes
Dr. Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, highlighted the importance of closing legal loopholes to prevent tobacco industry exploitation.
"Smoking is still the leading cause of cancer, causing around 150 cancer cases across the UK every single day," Walker said. "The number of people continuing to smoke menthol-flavoured cigarettes is deeply concerning. These findings show why it’s vital that measures to tackle smoking don’t contain legal loopholes which can be exploited by the tobacco industry."
The scientists did state, however, that they support the government's plans to include all tobacco products in proposed legislation to raise the age of sale of tobacco, which they say will help prevent the next generation from ever taking up smoking in the first place.