Nearly two-thirds of adults support prohibiting menthol cigarette sales, while more than half support banning all tobacco product sales, according to a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Food and Drug Administration is considering a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, CNN reports. Menthol is the last flavor allowed in cigarettes. Experts say the flavor makes smoking easier to start and more difficult to quit. Menthol can mask tobacco’s harshness and irritation, and enhances the effect of nicotine in the brain, making it even more addictive.
The new survey found the support for banning menthol cigarette sales was widespread across demographic groups. “Our findings are generally consistent with previous research showing support for menthol cigarette sales prohibitions, including among population groups historically targeted by unjust marketing practices and with a high prevalence of menthol cigarette use (eg, non-Hispanic Black adults),” the researchers wrote.