Nationwide, fewer people smoke than did a decade ago, but the proportion who smoke menthol-flavored cigarettes is on the rise. More than 9 million adults, or about 32% of all smokers, use menthol cigarettes , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Virginia, the proportion stands higher, at 38%.
A team of researchers including Roberta Freitas-Lemos, assistant professor at Virginia Tech's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, found that reducing sales of menthol products while making replacement therapies such as nicotine gum and lozenges available could improve health outcomes for people who use menthol cigarettes. The findings come from a study that examined what products adult smokers purchased in an experimental marketplace that adjusted prices and availability of tobacco and nicotine products. "We were trying to understand how different flavor policies interact, the role of cigarette filter ventilation, and how different types of smokers would respond to those policies," said Freitas-Lemos, who is with both the institute's Center for Health Behaviors Research and Cancer Research Center in Roanoke.
"We wanted to understand the effect of restrictions on purchases." The study, which published in the Oct. 1 issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence , analyzed preferences for menthol-flavored cigarettes and e-cigarettes and the effect of filter ventilation options on purchase decisions.
Researchers analyzed data from 172 people who exclusively smoke c.
