Menthol Content in US Marketed Cigarettes

Area of Science:

• Tobacco product analysis
• Analytical chemistry
• Public health

Background:

• Menthol cigarettes comprised 32% of the US market in 2011.
• Limited literature exists on measured menthol levels in commercial cigarettes.
• Understanding menthol application is crucial for public health assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify menthol levels in contemporary US cigarette products.
• To compare menthol content in labeled menthol vs. non-menthol cigarettes.
• To investigate potential menthol presence in non-labeled products.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 45 whole cigarettes.
• Utilized gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for menthol quantification.
• Included cigarettes labeled and not labeled as menthol products.

Main Results:

• Menthol levels in labeled menthol cigarettes ranged from 2.9 to 19.6 mg/cigarette.
• Non-labeled cigarettes contained significantly lower menthol, ranging from 0.002 to 0.07 mg/cigarette.
• Menthol content generally fell within distinct ranges for both product types.

Conclusions:

• Menthol levels in labeled products are 50- to 5000-fold higher than in non-labeled products.
• Menthol can be present in cigarettes not labeled as mentholated.
• This study provides a systematic comparison of menthol and non-menthol cigarettes.