Menthol cigarettes, many people feel a sense of coolness when smoking, in addition there is no particularly unpleasant smell of smoke, so it is very popular, but in fact, the harm is greater, more likely to be addictive and carcinogenic, then, what are the hazards of menthol cigarettes? The following I will bring the introduction.

Smoking menthol cigarettes will be more likely to be addictive and carcinogenic

Menthol leaves because of the mint content, so when smoking will feel the coolness, favored by many smokers. But menthol cigarettes are more addictive than other ordinary cigarettes and produce a lot of harmful substances when burned.

And in the mouth of the secretion of a nicotine metabolism produced after the biological activity of the hazardous substances, because it contains menthol components, so in the inhalation will feel cool, and anesthetize the role of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, so in the inhalation, smokers inhale the body in a big mouth, undoubtedly more carcinogens will be inhaled.

What are the dangers of menthol cigarettes

Menthol comes with a sense of freshness and naturalness that always gives people an impression of 'healthy and green'.

But the menthol flavor in tobacco, instead of mitigating the dangers of tobacco, brings greater health risks.

1, mint flavor, let a person smoke more, deeper

Many menthol tobacco are claimed to be "low nicotine" "low tar amount", seems to be able to bring a little comfort.

But there are a number of studies*** that show the same thing: people who smoke menthol tobacco have higher levels of nicotine metabolites (cotinine) in their bodies compared to people who smoke regular cigarettes.

A survey of data on serum cotinine levels in more than 1,500 smokers showed that menthol smokers had significantly higher serum cotinine levels (1,333.8 ± 40.1 nmol/L) compared to non-menthol smokers (1,230.3 ± 24.5 nmol/L).

Why does the addition of menthol make tobacco scarier?

First, mint has a good flavor. The refreshing mint flavor masks the otherwise harsh taste of tobacco, making it more palatable and allowing people to smoke one cigarette after another, shortening the time between each one.

A study published in Tobacco Control showed that participants who smoked menthol tobacco would smoke an average of 2.2 fewer cigarettes per day if they switched to regular tobacco.

Secondly, menthol has mild anesthetic properties that open up the airways and make the smoke feel smoother on the throat, thus making it easier to inhale, as opposed to inhaling deeper, one step into the lungs.

In addition to this, menthol can be decomposed at a high temperature of 860 degrees Celsius to produce a carcinogen, that is, menthol tobacco smoke, may be more than ordinary tobacco a carcinogen, thus increasing the carcinogenicity.

2, menthol cigarettes, may make it more difficult to quit smoking

The metabolite of nicotine in the human body is cotinine, the content of cotinine is positively correlated with the degree of nicotine dependence.

People who smoke mentholized tobacco have higher levels of nicotine in their bodies, and naturally higher levels of cotinine.

And this has nothing to do with menthol: on the one hand, menthol can increase the absorption of nicotine in the body; on the other hand, menthol will reduce the metabolism of cotinine.

The consequence is that smoking mentholized tobacco makes it harder to quit.

A study of 480 smokers proved this:

In the most recent quit, menthol smokers lasted an average of 30 days, while non-menthol smokers lasted an average of 36 days;

In the longest quit, menthol smokers lasted an average of 90 days, while non-menthol smokers lasted an average of 157.5 days.

A meta-analysis of the results of a survey of nearly 150,000 smokers found that menthol tobacco smokers were 12% less likely to quit successfully compared to non-menthol tobacco.

It's worth noting that menthol tobacco attracts smokers who are mostly novice or light smokers, so they're usually more willing to quit.

It's just that the results are often not as good as they could be, and there are still a lot of people, stuck in the trap of menthol cigarettes.