I smoked menthol cigarettes from age 17 to age 55. My husband said they smelled horrible (he smokes non-menthol cigarettes so how would he know?). I never thought they were less safe either, just that they tasted better to me. Now I can't imagine smoking one. Or any other kind.
Rusty
My Mileage:
My Quit Date: 12/13/2004 Smoke-Free Days: 2085 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 106,335 Amount Saved: $23,925.38 Life Gained: Days: 193 Hrs: 0 Mins: 22 Seconds: 40
I loved menthol...it is all I smoked for 30+ years. A plain stick tasted dry to me and left a horrible aftertaste, while the menthol left a horrible aftertaste with a hint of mint.
Thankfully, both are a thing of the past and I enjoy the bold flavor of my morning coffee with clear lungs!
Keep the Quit,
Dave
My Mileage:
My Quit Date: 1/19/2009 Smoke-Free Days: 587 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 17,610 Amount Saved: $4,622.63 Life Gained: Days: 99 Hrs: 10 Mins: 56 Seconds: 50
Many years ago, I started off my habit smoking menthol cigarettes. I don't think I thought they were less dangerous. I think I choose them because of my culture. Black people tend to smoke menthol cigarettes. That is what people around me were smoking. I actually think of menthol cigarettes as more dangerous than regular ones. Menthol is just one more poison, one more trick, one more chemical.
My Mileage:
My Quit Date: 5/1/2009 Smoke-Free Days: 484 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 13,552 Amount Saved: $5,759.60 Life Gained: Days: 54 Hrs: 11 Mins: 59 Seconds: 0
Menthol is an organic compound naturally found in mint plants such as peppermint and spearmint. It acts as a coolant, stimulates cold receptors, and is frequently used to relieve minor pain and irritation.
Today, approximately 90% of cigarettes marketed in the United States contain menthol (which can be natural or synthetic). Menthol is a cigarette additive actively marketed to consumers based on
its physiological effects as an anti-irritant and cooling agent and has been heavily marketed to youth and women. menthol cigarettes account for 20% of tobacco industry revenues.
Menthol cigarettes are just as harmful as regular cigarettes.
What is your experience with menthol cigarettes? Did you ever think of them as the "safer" choice?
