As part of their initiative to bring transparency to the FDA s tobacco advisory committee examining potential regulatory policies for menthol cigarettes, dissolvable tobacco products and other issues, the watchdog group Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) launched a Studies and Concepts Under Review forum that allows experts to analyze the FDA s reports on the issue of menthol in cigarettes.
The FDA report is consistent with earlier studies, says ACSH's Jeff Stier. They re studying whether or not menthol is dangerous, and the question is: What do you mean by dangerous? If they re asking if menthol itself is toxic, the overwhelming evidence gathered over the years indicates that it s not. If they re asking if menthol can make it easier to smoke, possibly by numbing a smoker s throat, then the answer is: maybe so. But does that make mentholated cigarettes more dangerous? And if you ban them, will it do any good? We encourage the FDA to evaluate all of the evidence, not just evidence that advances the preconceived approach of some of the panel members, who have been on the record in favor of banning menthol.
There are many folks on the FDA committee that are eager to ban any ingredient they can, with an eye towards making cigarettes more difficult to produce, says ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross. However, they may not be considering the unintended consequences of banning menthol, such as a black market in homemade menthol cigarettes and the increased desirability of forbidden products.
Stier cannot help himself: If you ban menthol, then menthol cigarettes will seem even Kool-er.
For more information, see ACSH s publication, Health Effects of Menthol in Cigarettes.
