Tobacco Companies Say Menthol Doesn't Add To Risks Of Smoking

Source from:  Foxbusiness 07/16/2010

Tobacco companies said Thursday that menthol flavor added to cigarettes doesn't increase the risks associated with cigarette smoking. "Our analysis of the published scientific literature and internal studies concludes that menthol added to cigarettes does not increase the inherent health risks of smoking," said Jane Y. Lewis, senior vice president for Altria (AO: undefined, undefined, undefined%), the parent company for Philip Morris USA, in testimony before a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel considering limiting or banning the products. Most tobacco flavorings were banned in the Tobacco Control Act signed into law in June 2009 on concerns that flavorings lure children to smoke. Menthol was not included. The law also gave the FDA the power to regulate all tobacco products. The FDA panel is hearing testimony Thursday and Friday on menthol's health risks, and whether it masks the harsh taste of cigarettes, makes them more addictive and harder to quit. Representatives for tobacco companies insisted that, contrary to popular thinking, menthol can actually increase the harshness of smoking. "Higher menthol levels are not perceived as soothing, but are perceived as irritating," said Michael W. Ogden, senior director for regulatory oversight for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the makers of Camel cigarettes. In a sign that the science behind menthol cigarettes remains unclear, some tobacco companies were simultaneously accused of lowering menthol flavoring in cigarettes to attract younger smokers. A representative for the Lorillard Tobacco Co. (LO: 74.75, -0.03, -0.04%), the country's largest menthol cigarette maker, said a 2008 study that found the company decreased its menthol concentration by 16% to attract teenagers was "absolutely false." Lorillard's cigarette brands include Newport and Kent. Public health advocates, however, argue that menthol could have an impact on initiation and cessation of smoking. "If menthol causes more people to start or makes it harder for people to quit, then that causes harm," said Danny McGoldrick, vice president of research for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The panel is also examining the marketing of menthol cigarettes and which populations are most likely to smoke them, amid evidence the products are widely used by women and African Americans. This is the second time the advisory panel will meet since it was established earlier this year. It is expected to hold one or two more full committee meetings before it issues a final recommendation to the FDA in March 2011. The FDA isn't required to follow the recommendations of its panels. Enditem