Removing menthol from cigarettes would improve public health, according to a report from the FDA's Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC).

The panel, which released its recommendations on Friday, concludes that it is "biologically plausible" that adding menthol to cigarettes makes them more addictive and harder to quit and that companies that sell menthol cigarettes target minorities and kids with their advertising.

Although the report came down hard on the practice of adding menthol to cigarettes, it stopped short of recommending that the FDA order cigarette companies to stop selling menthol products.

The committee said menthol is more than just a flavoring agent and that it would provide a sensory stimulation referred to as the "throat grab" that could provide greater reinforcement of smoking behavior. "The implications of these findings are that by reducing the harshness of tobacco smoke, menthol could facilitate initiation or early persistence of smoking by youth," the committee wrote in its report.

The TPSAC has been meeting for the past year to review medical literature, reports from FDA, tobacco company submissions, and public comments in order to determine the public health impact of adding menthol to cigarettes.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act barred tobacco manufacturers from adding candy-like flavors to their products – such as cloves and vanilla – but left a determination on menthol to the FDA. (pi)