Do menthol cigarettes have less nicotine?
NO There are hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of health-damaging molecules in cigarette smoke — from carbon monoxide to nicotine to formaldehyde to polycyclic hydrocarbons — that cause cancer. However, you probably don’t need to worry too much about the menthol. Menthol is a molecule that is purified from plants of the mint family, either peppermint (Mentha piperita) or cornmint (Mentha arvensis). It has been used in products including toothpaste, cold remedies and peppermint candies for at least 100 years. Menthol makes skin feel colder by stimulating the nerve endings that detect cold. This same cooling feeling gives the sensation of nasal decongestion, and cools the taste of burning cigarettes. Providing this feeling and a nice aroma is about all that menthol does. Although menthol is widely used in cough and cold preparations, it doesn’t do too much besides make the air smell and feel nice. Fortunately, menthol is pretty safe. Animal studies have shown that even high doses of men
