​An European Union wide ban came into effect on methanol cigarettes came into effect on May 20, 2022. New research from Imperial College London suggests that the ban has been effective in getting smokers to quit.

Leading the study was Christina Kyriakos in conjunction with teams from Maastricht University and the Trimbos Institute in the Netherlands and International Tobacco Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project) at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Taking a national sample of adult menthol and non-menthol cigarette smokers in the Netherlands the team compared responses before and after the ban. Of those surveyed, 26.1 per cent had quit smoking. This was much higher than the control group of non-menthol smokers, of which only 14.1 per cent had quit.

Adding menthol to cigarettes creates a cooling and often minty sensation that reduces the harshness of smoking. This can make it easier to start smoking and from a nicotine addiction.

There are currently 35 countries with menthol bans.

Read the full study here: https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2022/09/13/tc-2022-057428

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