It's long been believed that people who smoke the mint-flavored cigarettes are less likely to quit, and now new study claims effect is especially pronounced among certain ethnic groups.
Studies have found that menthol cigarette smokers were about 9% less likely to have quit smoking overall compared with those who smoked non-menthol cigarettes. When researchers observed the quit rates among certain ethnic groups who smoke menthol cigarettes, they found that Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin and African-Americans were less likely to quit smoking:
Researchers believe these findings support a recent FDA advisory committee's recommendation that the agency remove menthol cigarettes from the market to improve public health.