Tobacco.org

• Menthol Dose Manipulated, Study Says 

A new Harvard study claims that the tobacco industry in recent years has manipulated menthol levels in cigarettes to hook youngsters and maintain loyalty among smoking adults. The report could further inflame a controversy over menthol in pending tobacco legislation.

The study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, released Wednesday, concludes that manufacturers have marketed brands to what it called a "vulnerable population" of adolescents and young adults by "manipulating sensory elements of cigarettes to promote initiation and dependence."

Young people, the study said, tolerate menthol cigarettes better than harsher nonmenthol . . .

"Marlboro needed a lower-menthol product that would cater to young smokers' sensory needs, as well as a higher-menthol cigarette for older smokers," the study said.

Since then, Philip Morris's share of the menthol market has increased, and it is currently the second-largest seller of menthol cigarettes in the United States.

A spokesman for Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris, challenged both the hypothesis and the facts contained in the study.

Jump to full article »