According to a report published in the Journal of Preventative Medicine, those smoking menthol cigarettes have more difficulty quitting than those who smoke regular cigarettes, with Puerto Rican menthol smokers appearing to have the most difficulty.
The report stated Hispanic smokers in Puerto Rico were 43 percent less likely to quit than non-menthol cigarette smokers. African-American menthol smokers were 19 percent less likely to quit, which is worrisome since 71 percent of black smokers preferred the menthols.
“Historically, smoking cessation research has generally grouped Hispanics together and contrasted them with non-Hispanic whites, thus ignoring the broad heterogeneity of the Hispanic population,” says researcher Cristine D. Delnevo, PhD, MPH, of the Center for Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation Research at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in a news release. “By further drilling down into these subgroups, the opportunity exists to develop targeted interventions for quit efforts among this population.”
