Menthol cigarettes are usually smaller than traditional cigarettes, so in theory they may appear to contain less harmful substances. But if they taste better, we inhale them harder. This is one of the reasons why mentholes will be withdrawn from the market.

Mentholes contain more harmful substances

We often hear that menthol cigarettes are even less he althy than regular cigarettes. Is this one of the myths to discourage smokers, or a scientifically proven fact?

And yet, it turns out that this statement is quite correct. The mint flavor of the cigarette means that we are not able to fully control the amount of nicotine supplied to the body. We inhale harder, without realizing that we are inhaling more tar.

In addition, the menthol contained in a cigarette facilitates the penetration of carcinogenic substances from the smoke into the bronchial tree - says prof. Jerzy Kozielski from the Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Silesia.

Cigarettes contain 4 thousand. chemical compounds, and 40 of them are carcinogenic. In flavored cigarettes there are additional substances supporting the taste and smell, which also do not have a positive effect on he alth - artificial flavors under the influence of temperature and in combination with other substances from cigarettes pose an additional threat to the proper functioning of the body.

The EU in the tobacco directive prohibits the production and sale of flavored cigarettes, including menthol cigarettes, throughout the European Union. The EU Constitutional Court reminded countries that appealed against the EU regulation that flavored cigarettes are as harmful as regular cigarettes. Removing menthol cigarettes from sales is therefore a way to reduce their attractiveness (the mild, minty taste encourages smoking), which should contribute to an overall reduction in the number of smokers.

The regulation comes into force on May 20, 2016 for producers of flavored cigarettes, in addition to menthol. Menthol cigarettes will be discontinued in 2022.

Flavored cigarettes will stop tasting

The menthol or cherry flavor of cigarettes makes you inhale them harder. The European Union is introducing a directive that prohibits the sale of flavored cigarettes for this very reason. Appointed byThe European Commission has a team of experts to prepare a list of substances that can be used in the production of cigarettes.

The EU wants a cigarette to become a cigarette, therefore a minimum thickness (7.5mm) and flavor have been set. The cigarette is supposed to taste and smell of tobacco, and the aromas should not be perceptible.

This is a psychological action to discourage smoking. We will not reach for a vanilla or cherry cigarette guided mainly by its pleasant smell.

Important

The color of the cigarette packaging influences the consumer's choice

The inscription " light ", " mild ", " smooth " or " silver”on the packaging makes the product seem less harmful, even he althier! We behave in a similar way when we see the package with the filter removed. However, the color of the packaging has the strongest influence on the consumer. Bright and pastel colors of the box are chosen by smokers who want a mild cigarette taste and less tar.

One of the guidelines of the new EU directive is to standardize the appearance of packaging and the order to place on all packaging photos of the effects of smoking - tobacco blackened lungs, changes in the mouth, and cancer. They will occupy 65% ​​of the packaging area.

The aim is to make consumers aware that the pastel color of the packaging does not reduce the amount of harmful substances in cigarettes.

We draw more light cigarettes

Light cigarettes were the response of tobacco companies to the needs of people who are aware of he alth hazards caused by smoking and those who decided to quit smoking. When choosing mild, light or silver cigarettes, they believe that milder smoke will be less harmful to their he alth.

There is some truth to this, light cigarettes contain less nicotine and less tar. Different than in ordinary cigarettes is also the design of the filter (the filter is made of cellulose acetate) and specially punctured. Another design of the light cigarette was to make the smoker inhale more air, diluting the smoke.

In practice, however, this method has failed. Why? Light cigarettes were tested on machines that only touched the filter. The smoker puts it quite deep into his mouth. In this way, it blocks the access of air from the outside, making the holes in the filter do not fulfill the role assumed by the producers.

The same applies to the lower tobacco content in a light cigarette. Addiction to nicotine means that the body requires a certain amount of substance to be supplied to it. If there is less of it in a cigarette, thenwe will automatically puff harder or more frequently. The test machines always drew the smoke in the same way, disregarding the natural predispositions of the smoker.

Category:

Psychology