Risk perceptions of menthol cigarettes compared with nonmenthol cigarettes among New Jersey adults.
BACKGROUND
Menthol cigarettes were historically marketed as "healthier" cigarettes, and menthol possesses cooling qualities that may reduce the perceived harshness of cigarette smoke. As such, it is possible that smokers may perceive menthol cigarettes to be safer when, in fact, some research suggests that menthols may be more addictive than regular cigarettes. Research shows that smokers have a faulty understanding of the risks of cigarettes in general, but little is known about smokers' risk perceptions for these particular products.


METHODS
We examined data from the 2005 New Jersey Adult Tobacco Survey, a statewide random-digit-dial telephone survey monitoring tobacco-use behavior, knowledge, and attitudes and which asked participants to compare how risky (somewhat less risky, about the same, or somewhat more risky) menthol cigarettes were with nonmenthol cigarettes.


RESULTS
Few menthol smokers (2.4%) and survey respondents overall (4.0%) believed menthol cigarettes to be less risky than nonmenthol cigarettes. In contrast, 30.2% of menthol smokers and 25.9% of all respondents (including nonsmokers) believed menthols to be more risky than nonmenthol cigarettes. Compared with never-smokers, nonmenthol smokers were most likely to believe this (AOR = 4.51), followed by former smokers (AOR = 1.77) and current menthol smokers (AOR = 1.58). Among current smokers, Blacks (AOR = 2.17) were more likely than Whites to indicate menthols as being more risky and young adults (18- to 24-year-olds) were the age group most likely to hold this belief (AOR = 3.30).


CONCLUSIONS
Future research should explore whether these perceptions exist in broader population groups as well as their development and association with smoking-related behaviors.
Center for Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation Research, School of Public Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 335 George Street, Suite 2100, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. olivia.wackowski@umdnj.edu
Olivia Ann
OA
Wackowski
Cristine D
CD
Delnevo
M Jane
MJ
Lewis
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008610:Menthol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D005421:Flavoring Agents; D008610:Menthol