Impact of Canada’s menthol cigarette ban on quitting among menthol smokers
Fong GT, Chung-Hall J, Meng G, et al. Impact of Canada’s menthol cigarette ban on quitting among menthol smokers: a pooled analysis of pre-post evaluation from the ITC Project and the Ontario Menthol Ban Study and projections of impact in the USA. Tobacco Control. Published Online First: 28 April 2022. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-057227
https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2022/04/27/tobaccocontrol-2021-057227
“After the menthol cigarette ban, menthol smokers were more likely than non-menthol smokers to have quit smoking among daily smokers (difference=8.0%; 95% CI: 2.4% to 13.7%,p=0.005) and all (daily+non-daily) smokers (difference=7.3%; 95% CI: 2.1% to 12.5%,p=0.006). The projected number of smokers who would quit after a US menthol ban would be 789 724 daily smokers (including 199 732 African Americans) and 1 337 988 daily+non-daily smokers (including 381 272 African Americans).
This pooled analysis of Canada’s menthol cigarette ban provides the foundation for estimating the impact of menthol bans in the USA and other countries. Projections suggest that a US menthol cigarette ban would have a substantial impact on increasing quitting.”
Comment: Because a menthol ban in both England and Canada had a significant effect on quitting, the proposed FDA ban on menthol in the US is likely to be a significant step in reducing tobacco use, especially in minority populations that have greater use of menthol cigarettes.
Stephen Hamann
