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Minty and Dangerous

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Joe Camel may have been forced into an early retirement, but that doesn’t mean the tobacco industry isn’t getting to your kids. According to a study led by UB epidemiologist Gary Giovino, menthol cigarettes have been growing in popularity among young adults, even as consumption of regular smoke-flavored smokes has fallen. Apparently it’s hard for tender minds to equate a minty taste with lethal risk.

SMOKING HABITS OF YOUNG ADULTS

Percentage of young adults ages 18 to 25 who smoked menthol (green) or non-menthol cigarettes (blue):

Figures come from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and show the percentage of respondents who smoked during the previous 30 days whose usual brand was mentholated or non-mentholated.

TRYING MENTHOL

Mentholated cigarettes were more popular among younger smokers. The percentage of smokers in different age groups who used menthol cigarettes during 2008, 2009 and 2010:

Figures come from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and show the percentage of smokers in each age group who usually smoked mentholated cigarettes during the 30 days prior to being surveyed.

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