'Menthol-Plus’: a major category of cigarette found among ‘concept’ descriptor cigarettes from Mexico

Abstract

BackgroundTobacco companies are offering cigarettes with ‘concept’ descriptor names that suggest sensation and/or flavour properties (eg, Marlboro ‘Velvet Fusion’). Little has been known about the identities and levels of flavour chemicals in such cigarettes.MethodsThirty-three filter cigarette variants from 27 packs (including two sampler packs with four variations each) from Canada and Mexico were analysed (rod + filter) for 177 flavour chemicals plus triacetin, a filter plasticiser and possible flavourant. Five brands of US mentholated filter cigarettes were also analysed.ResultsTwenty-seven of the 33 cigarettes (all were Mexican variants) were categorised as ‘menthol-plus’: significant menthol (3.0–11.9 mg/cigarette), plus varying amounts (0.32–3.4 mg/cigarette) of total other flavour chemicals (TOFCs) (excludes triacetin). For 10 of the 27, TOFCs >1.0 mg/cigarette. For 7 of the 27, the TOFCs profile was categorised as containing total fruit flavour compounds (TFFCs) >1.0 mg/cigarette. One Mexican variant was categorised as ‘menthol-only’ (TOFCs ≤0.15 mg/cigarette). All menthol-plus and menthol-only cigarettes contained one or two optional-crush capsules in their filters (crushed prior to analysis). All five Canadian brand variants were ‘non-flavoured’. All five US brand variants were ‘menthol-only’.ConclusionsAll but one of the ‘concept’ descriptor cigarettes from Mexico were ‘menthol-plus’. While the Canadian cigarettes complied with Canada’s flavour chemical ban, concept descriptors on the packs may increase appeal. Given the scale of the problem posed by menthol alone, health officials seeking to decrease the appeal of smoked tobacco should examine the extent to which ‘concept descriptor’ cigarettes using ‘menthol-plus’ flavour profiling together with artful descriptors are furthering the problem of smoked tobacco.

Marketing of flavour capsule cigarettes: a systematic review

“…A total of 40 articles, published between 2009 and 2021, were included in the review (table 1). Article types varied and included 17 full manuscripts,10 24–39 4 brief reports,40–43 4 conference abstracts,44–47 2 reports,1 48 7 ‘industry watch’ publications,2 3 49–53 2 ‘ad watch’ publications,54 55 3 special communications20 56 57 and 1 research letter 58. Nine studies examined FCV marketing elements globally/generally or did not specify countries,1–3 28–30 32 34 46 50 while other studies investigated specific countries including: Argentina,45 48 Australia,56 Bangladesh,27 43 Bolivia,45 48 Brazil,27 43–45 48 Canada,41 58 Chile,45 48 China,27 38 43 Egypt,43 Guatemala,40 Lithuania,31 India,27 43 Indonesia,24 27 43 44 Japan,31 54 Malaysia,51 Mexico,10 35 43 47 New Zealand,42 Pakistan,43 Peru,45 48 the Philippines,26 27 43 44 the Republic of Korea,31 33 54 55 the Russian Federation,27 43 44 Singapore,37 Switzerland,31 Thailand,27 43 44 Turkey,43 Ukraine,43 the UK,20 39 49 52 53 57 the USA,31 35 36 Uruguay25 and Vietnam 27 43 44…”

“…Regarding study methodology, 15 studies performed a content analysis of cigarette packs1 24 26 33–35 37 41 45 46 50 55 56 58 and/or sticks33 37 41 43 46; 4 studies conducted a content analysis of retail stores25 40 47 48; 18 studies reviewed tobacco industry documents (eg, internal, reports, trade/retail press, ingredient lists), and/or observed the retail environment and/or examined the commercial market data (eg, market portfolio, brand variants, price)1–3 20 29–32 34 39 42 49 52–57; 3 studies conducted a content analysis of print and/or online tobacco advertising and marketing information28 36 38; and 1 study used a cross-sectional survey design10 (table 1).…”

“…Offered by all transnational tobacco companies by multiple brand owners, in several brand variants, across many countries globally 1–3 20 27 32 35 37 41 42 44 55–58…”

“…Comes in many flavours and forms (eg, different flavoured capsules in same stick) 2 3 24 27 31 35 37 39 44 45 56 57…”

“…Capsule presence (eg, ‘ Caps’ ), type (eg, ‘ Convertible’ ) and number (eg, ‘ Double’ ) 1 35 37 41 50 55 56…”