Tobacco.org

Exclusion of menthol cigarettes in ban worries health experts  

The act required the FDA to create a Tobacco Products Advisory Committee, which will submit reports on such questions as "the impact of the use of menthol in cigarettes on the public health."

Although teen smoking overall has declined, the proportion who smoke menthol cigarettes is rising -- 17.5% from 2000 to 2002, according to the American Legacy Foundation, created as a result of the 1998 settlement between state attorneys general and the tobacco industry. About 44% of smokers ages 12 to 17 use menthol cigarettes, the foundation says.

"It makes no sense" to keep menthol cigarettes on the market, says Legacy CEO Cheryl Healton.

A 2002 study found 60% of middle school smokers smoked menthol, says scientist James Hersey with RTI International, an independent research institute in Washington, D.C. "I think menthol is easier to smoke, so kids will often start with menthol."

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