ATLANTA - Researchers Friday called for detailed new studies to determine whether the additive menthol, advertised as giving cigarettes a cooler taste, makes smoking more dangerous. <br>
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Some experts suspect the additive may cause smokers to absorb more nicotine into their lungs, or that it may damage cells to allow cigarette toxins to seep through and cause cancer. <br>
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Researchers say the possibility is particularly alarming because blacks and teen-agers, who already have higher smoking rates overall, are also more likely to prefer menthol cigarettes. <br>
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Menthol is a chemical added to a broad variety of consumer products -- nasal spray, shaving cream, mouthwash, breath mints-- to stimulate the body's cold receptors. <br>
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In cigarettes, marketed under brands like Kool, Newport and Marlboro Menthol, the additive is designed to make smoking less jarring. Advertisements hype menthol brands as smooth and cool. <br>
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Existing research on whether the menthol actually makes the cigarettes more dangerous is conflicting. Diverging studies were reviewed today at a conference held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. <br>
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A study presented by a researcher at the University of California at San Francisco, for example, found that menthols were not associated with higher intake of nicotine or carbon monoxide. <br>
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But researcher Karen Ahijevych of Ohio State University presented preliminary data showing menthols increase exposure to carbon monoxide, at least in men, and cause higher levels of nicotine in plasma. <br>
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And some other studies suggest menthol may help damage cells, making them more permeable to allow cancerous toxins to seep in.
