Menthol flavour enhances vaping experiences: a randomised crossover clinical trial.

Area of Science:

• Consumer Health
• Nicotine Products
• Public Health

Background:

• Menthol's role in e-cigarette appeal is under investigation.
• Understanding flavor impacts is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of menthol flavor on e-cigarette user satisfaction, enjoyment, and sensory experiences.
• To compare menthol versus tobacco e-cigarette flavor experiences in adult users.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover trial involving 77 adult e-cigarette users (aged 21-35).
• Participants completed two 60-minute ad libitum vaping sessions with the same device, one menthol-flavored and one tobacco-flavored, in random order.
• Primary outcomes included satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyment, appeal, and sensory experiences, measured post-session.

Main Results:

• Menthol e-cigarettes yielded significantly higher scores for satisfaction, product liking, future use interest, enjoyment, puff liking, taste, and craving reduction compared to tobacco flavor (p<0.05).
• Users with moderate to high nicotine dependence and women reported enhanced subjective experiences with menthol flavor compared to tobacco.
• Specific measures like psychological reward and puff liking showed significant improvements in the menthol condition for these subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Menthol-flavored e-cigarettes significantly enhance the overall user experience compared to tobacco flavor.
• Menthol's appeal may increase e-cigarette initiation among nicotine-naïve youth and sustain addiction in current users.
• Menthol flavor in e-cigarettes represents a potential regulatory target to curb youth usage.