Tob Control

Menthol cigarettes linked to higher mortality risk

March 3, 2025

Findings from a prospective cohort study provide robust evidence supporting the regulation of menthol-flavored cigarettes due to their association with increased mortality risks, particularly among Black smokers.

Study design: Utilizing data from the Cancer Prevention Study-II, a population-based prospective cohort study, researchers assessed all-cause and cause-specific mortality risks associated with menthol-flavored cigarette smoking. The cohort included 969,349 participants enrolled in 1982-1983, with a follow-up period of six years.

Results: Current smokers of both menthol and non-menthol cigarettes had approximately double the mortality risk compared with never smokers. Among former smokers, those who had smoked menthol cigarettes had a 12% higher all-cause mortality risk, a 16% higher cardiovascular mortality risk, and a 43% higher risk of other heart diseases compared with non-menthol smokers. For current smokers, there was no significant difference in mortality risks between menthol and non-menthol cigarette users, except for an elevated risk among those smoking ≥40 cigarettes per day. Notably, Black individuals currently smoking menthol cigarettes had an 88% higher mortality risk for other heart diseases compared with those smoking non-menthol cigarettes.

Source:

Bandi P, et al. (2025, February 13). Tob Control. Association of menthol-flavoured cigarette smoking with all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39947700/