Racial and ethnic differences in topography and subjective effects among young adults in response to smoking their usual brand menthol or nonmenthol cigarette.

Abstract

Menthol smoking, which is popular among Black and Hispanic individuals who smoke and young adults, is linked to positive subjective effects and difficulty quitting, although studies of topography and subjective effects show inconsistent differences. This study compared subjective effects and laboratory smoking across menthol and nonmenthol young adults who smoke and examined differences by race/ethnicity. Smoking topography, subjective effects, and pre/postsmoking craving, vitals, cigarette weight, and exhaled carbon monoxide were assessed in 121 young adults who smoke (M_age = 23.9; 49.5% menthol; 37.2% non-White) following ≥12 hr of abstinence. Participants smoked their usual brand cigarette (menthol or nonmenthol) in a single laboratory session. Differences in study outcomes were examined across cigarette flavor and by race/ethnicity (White vs. non-White). No main effects of cigarette flavor or race/ethnicity emerged on any study outcomes. Interactions of cigarette flavor with race/ethnicity emerged on postsmoking craving and cigarette weight, controlling for presmoking measures of the outcome and cigarettes per day. Compared to non-White participants who smoked nonmenthol cigarettes, non-White participants who smoked menthol cigarettes had higher postsmoking cigarette weight and lower postsmoking craving. Further, non-White participants who smoked menthol cigarettes had lower postsmoking craving compared to White participants who smoked menthol cigarettes. Non-White young adults who smoke menthols experienced greater craving reduction, despite consuming less of their preferred cigarette. Craving reduction may be one mechanism fostering continued menthol smoking. Menthol smoking, even at lower amounts, produces similar toxicant exposure, which may contribute to tobacco health disparities as smoking progresses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).