Menthol cigarette ban is a "gross restriction on consumer choice that will do nothing to stop children smoking"

Tue 19th May, 2020

The ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes is a "gross restriction on consumer choice that will do nothing to stop children smoking" says Forest.

Responding to claims by the anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) that the ban on "child-friendly" menthol cigarettes is "long overdue", Forest said there is no evidence that banning menthol cigarettes will stop children smoking.

Director Simon Clark said:

"The ban on menthol cigarettes is a gross restriction on consumer choice that will do nothing to stop children smoking.

"Evidence from Canada, where menthol cigarettes were first banned in 2015, suggests that the ban had no overall impact on youth smoking rates because younger smokers simply switched to non-menthol cigarettes." [1]

Criticising the ban and the impact on adult consumers, Clark added:

“Many adults have smoked menthol-flavoured cigarettes for decades. This week that small pleasure will be taken away from them and the only people who will benefit are the criminals who supply the black market with illegal and counterfeit goods.”

[1] Study Finds Menthol Ban Failed to Reduce Youth Smoking In Canada: 'Survey data confirm that provincial menthol bans significantly increased non-menthol cigarette smoking among youths, resulting in no overall net change in youth smoking rates.' (Reason, March 9, 2020)

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