Ireland Bans Menthol Cigarettes
The move is part of the EU Tobacco Products Directive’s four-year phase-out period, which took effect in May 2014 and was applied across the EU in May 2016. Professor Des Cox, chair of the Tobacco Policy Group at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
This move is part of the four-year phase-out of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), which came into effect in May 2014 and was applied across the EU in May 2016. Professor Des Cox, chair of the Tobacco Policy Group at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, supports this ban, stating that menthol makes smoking easier.
"There is good research showing that menthol cigarettes often expose young people to smoking because they find menthol cigarettes more appealing, perceive them as less irritating, and find them more palatable, making it a way for them to start smoking regularly. Nowadays, cigarette companies also target these products at women, so we strongly believe these products should be banned and welcome the government's decision to push this legislation," Cox said.
The ban may have unintended consequences
Europe has already banned small packs of cigarettes and 10-pack cigarettes, as well as all tobacco advertising and point-of-sale displays. In Ireland, the Public Health (Tobacco Standardized Packaging) Act, signed into law by President Michael D. Higgins in March 2015, prohibits the use of branding.
At the European Commission (EC), it is hoped that these measures will reduce smoking rates, but some smokers are concerned that the menthol ban may have the opposite effect. "I occasionally say I smoke menthol, and for me, if I smoke menthol, I smoke less, just because it leaves a taste in your mouth that is not conducive to eating, drinking coffee, soda, or anything else, while regular cigarettes do not. So for me, the menthol flavor... actually inhibits smoking or slows down the rate of smoking," said smoker David Mahon.
Menthol may be more addictive
Some studies have also shown that menthol may increase nicotine levels in the blood, making it easier to become addicted and harder to quit than regular cigarettes. "There is also evidence that if you smoke menthol cigarettes, it is actually harder to quit, so potentially they may be more addictive, and there is pharmacological evidence because menthol seems to affect nicotine levels, reducing breakdown and affecting receptors in the brain," said Dr. Angie Brown, chair of the Irish Smoking and Health Action Organization (ASH).
"Therefore, they may actually be more addictive. Of course, they contain all the carcinogens that non-menthol cigarettes have, so they will still cause cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and emphysema, thus they are certainly less safe than non-menthol cigarettes."
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