In 1925, an American named Lloyd rolled himself a cigarette with menthol-wrapped paper. As a result, he found that the cigarette smelled of fresh mint and was overjoyed.
The following year, he applied for a patent for mint cigarette and founded the first mint cigarette brand.
More than 90 years have passed and mint tobacco has become popular all over the world. In mainland China, although the market share of mint tobacco is relatively small, the consumption of mint tobacco cannot be ignored due to the large number of smokers in China.
Will mint cigarette be less harmful?
As we all know, smoking can lead to lung cancer, so will mint smoking be as harmless or even harmless as tobacco companies claim? Let’s look at the following research first.
Williams’ research team found that people who smoked mint cigarettes exhaled more carbon monoxide, and their nicotine content and cotinine (nicotine metabolite) content were higher than those who smoked non-mint cigarettes.
Ahijevych’s research team found that although mint smokers smoke fewer mouths per cigarette, they smoke more, smoke deeper and exhale more carbon monoxide. At the same time, contrary to expectations, the nicotine content in people who smoke mint cigarettes is higher than that in people who smoke non-mint cigarettes.
Okuyemi and Royce’s team found that mint smokers had a lower rate of quitting than non-mint smokers. Although mint smokers were more willing to quit smoking, their higher nicotine dependence made it difficult for them to quit even if they were light smokers.
In addition, there are data suggesting that mint smoking will also increase the prevalence of lung cancer and smoking-related diseases.
Through the above-mentioned studies, we can at least be sure that mint smoke will not be less harmful to the body than ordinary smoke.
How does mint smoke harm health?
Mint cigarettes are mainly harmful to smokers’ health through the following ways.
First of all, menthol components in mint smoke will decompose into a carcinogen-benzopyrene under the high temperature generated by combustion. This increases the carcinogen content in tobacco smoke.
Secondly, menthol can relax tracheal smooth muscle and reduce its sensory stimulation effect, covering up some respiratory symptoms, which will lead to deep inhalation and unconsciously inhale more harmful gases.
Thirdly, the metabolite of nicotine in human body is cotinine, and the content of cotinine is positively correlated with nicotine dependence.
Menthol may increase nicotine absorption in the body and reduce cotinine metabolism, which makes people who smoke mint cigarettes have higher cotinine content in the body and are more dependent on nicotine, i.e. More addicted.
Finally, menthol can increase the probability of harmful components in tobacco smoke entering blood through oral mucosa, and its complex effect on central nervous system can affect tobacco addiction, thus affecting smoking behavior.
Women and adolescents are the biggest victims.
Statisticians and businesses have investigated the characteristics of mint smokers and the results are very interesting.
Women are the first to choose mint cigarettes. Among adult smokers, women prefer mint cigarettes to men. The reason may be that mint cigarettes have less irritation to throat and trachea, and most women can tolerate the irritation of mint tobacco smoke.
Worryingly, teenagers have also become a large group of people who consume mint cigarettes. Mint cigarettes have become an important cigarette variety that most teenagers choose when they begin to learn to smoke.
Cigarettes are harmful
In our country, the proportion of people who smoke mint cigarettes is relatively small, but the huge population base reminds us that no matter how small the smoking rate is multiplied by the population of our country, the number will not be too small. At the same time, we should take effective measures to reduce the smoking rate of mint cigarettes among women and teenagers, thus reducing the smoking rate of the whole population.
In short, smoking mint cigarettes will not reduce the harm of smoking, but may increase the harm caused by smoking.
No matter what how’s fancy statements or ingredients are added, it is good to remember that cigarettes are harmful to your health.
If you don’t smoke, don’t touch it. If you are smoking, quit. Those who are giving up, stick to it.