Patterns of menthol cigarette use among current smokers, overall and within demographic strata, based on data from four U.S. government surveys

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2014.06.018Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • There is no consistent evidence of an age gradient for menthol cigarette use.

  • Menthol cigarette use is similar among past-month and daily smokers.

  • Adult female smokers report a slightly higher preference for menthol cigarettes.

  • Menthol preference is higher among adult Black smokers, but not other minorities.

  • Analyses indicate consistent patterns of menthol cigarette use across four surveys.

Abstract

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, National Health Interview Survey and Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey provide estimates of the proportions of U.S. smokers who currently use menthol cigarettes, overall and within demographic strata. Among adult past-month, regular and daily smokers, menthol cigarette use ranges from 26% to 30%, with statistically higher proportions of female versus male smokers (8–11 percentage points higher) currently using menthol cigarettes. Compared to adult smokers overall, statistically higher proportions of non-Hispanic Black smokers (72–79%) and statistically lower proportions of non-Hispanic White smokers (19–22%) currently use menthol cigarettes, with no differences among smokers of other race/ethnicity groups (18–20% to 28–30%, depending on the survey). Higher proportions of younger adult past-month, regular and daily smokers (aged 18–25 years) currently use menthol cigarettes compared to older adult smokers (aged 26–29 years and/or ⩾30 years); however, differences are small in magnitude, with the vast majority of adult smokers (70–75%) who currently use menthol cigarettes being aged ⩾30 years. Comparisons between youth and adult smokers are provided, although data for youth smokers are less available and provide less consistent patterns of menthol cigarette use.

Abbreviations

NHANES
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
NHIS
National Health Interview Survey
NSDUH
National Survey on Drug Use and Health
NYTS
National Youth Tobacco Survey
TUS-CPS
Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey
YRBSS
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

Keywords

Cigarette
Menthol
Preference
Demographics
Gender
Race/ethnicity
Current age category

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