title: The effect of menthol on cigarette smoking behaviors, biomarkers and subjective responses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration charged the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee with developing a report and recommendations about the effect of menthol in cigarettes on the public health. The purpose of this study was to examine smoking behaviors, biomarkers of exposure, and subjective responses when switching from a novel menthol cigarette to a non-menthol cigarette to isolate the effect of menthol and to approximate the effect a menthol ban might have on smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two adult smokers completed this 35-day randomized, open-label, laboratory study. After a 5-day baseline period, participants were randomized to the experimental group (n = 22) where they would smoke menthol Camel crush for 15 days followed by 15 days of non-menthol Camel crush, or the control group (n = 10) where they smoked their own brand cigarette across all periods. Participants attended study visits every 5 days and completed measures of smoking rate, smoking topography, biomarkers of exposure, and subjective responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although total puff volume tended to increase when the experimental group switched from menthol to non-menthol (P = 0.06), there were no corresponding increases in cigarette consumption or biomarkers of exposure (P > 0.1). Subjective ratings related to taste and smell decreased during the non-menthol period (P < 0.01), compared with the menthol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest menthol has minimal impact on smoking behaviors, biomarkers of exposure, and subjective ratings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When controlling for all other cigarette design features, menthol in cigarettes had minimal effect on outcome measures.
authors: Corresponding Author: Andrew A. Strasser, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. strasse3@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors: Andrew A
authors: AA
authors: Strasser
authors: Rebecca L
authors: RL
authors: Ashare
authors: Madeline
authors: M
authors: Kaufman
authors: Kathy Z
authors: KZ
authors: Tang
authors: A Clementina
authors: AC
authors: Mesaros
authors: Ian A
authors: IA
authors: Blair
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008610:Menthol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects; D012907:Smoking / Q000639:trends*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008610:Menthol; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D003849:Deoxyguanosine