Adolescent menthol smokers: will they be a harder target for cessation?

Menthol smoking may influence the development of tobacco addiction and related health consequences, yet limited data on menthol smoking by youth are available. We assessed usual brand menthol preference by Baltimore-area teenage smokers applying to a smoking cessation study between September 1999 and December 2002. Of a biethnic (Black and White) sample of 593 youths (mean age=15.5+/-1.4 years, 51% female, 45% African American), the overwhelming majority (93%) were menthol smokers. Menthol preference rates were highest among African American girls and lowest among White boys. Overall, a statistically significant association was found between ethnicity and menthol preference, chi2 (df=1)=19.4, p<.001. This association also was observed separately for girls, chi2 (df=1)=9.21, p=.0024, and for boys, chi2 (df=1)=9.59, p=.0020. Menthol smoking did not vary with age in either ethnic group. These findings of overwhelming menthol preference in a treatment-seeking sample of adolescents warrant further research on the developmental trajectory, cessation, and health-related impact of menthol smoking by youth.