title: Public opinion about FDA regulation of menthol and nicotine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Regulations that reduce nicotine and eliminate menthol in cigarettes have been proposed to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as product alterations that could reduce smoking prevalence in the USA. This study sought to assess the public response to either action.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mail survey of a representative sample of 1074 adults was conducted in two major metropolitan areas to determine the level of support for immediate, gradual or no reduction of menthol and nicotine in cigarettes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was more support for reducing nicotine (79%) than for reducing or removing menthol (59.5%). Most smokers (59.2%; 95% CI 50.7 to 67.2) and 36% of non-smokers (95% CI 31.7 to 40.8) opposed eliminating menthol, but few smokers (23.8%) or non-smokers (20.3%) were opposed to reducing nicotine. Logistic regression showed no significant effect of smoking status on support for reductions in nicotine, but that smokers were significantly less supportive than non-smokers of FDA action on menthol (OR=0.32, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.49). A significant race by smoking status interaction showed that African-American smokers were more supportive of removing menthol than non-African-American smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The greater smoker support for reductions in nicotine than menthol could be due to inaccurate beliefs about the disease risk associated with the two substances (ie, a belief that nicotine is more harmful than menthol), or to greater awareness of the sensory role that menthol plays in smokers' satisfaction. In any case, if FDA goes ahead with regulations to remove menthol, it will be important to develop strategies to reduce smoker resistance.
authors.affiliation: Center for Survey Research, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bolcic-Jankovic
authors.affiliation: Center for Survey Research, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Lois
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biener
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008610:Menthol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011639:Public Opinion; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
chemical_list: D008610:Menthol
keywords: Addiction; Nicotine; Prevention; Public Opinion; Public Policy