Researchers at the University of California California, San Francisco say their study shows that to quit smoking menthol cigarettes is more difficult than regular cigarettes, and advertising of menthol cigarettes often target blacks.

    "Mentholation of cigarettes does not seem to explain disparities in ischemic heart disease and obstructive pulmonary disease between African-Americans and European Americans in the United States but may partially explain lower rates of smoking cessation among African-American smokers," the authors conclude. "It is possible, therefore, that switching from menthol cigarettes to non-menthol cigarettes may facilitate subsequent smoking cessation, especially in African-Americans, and thereby reduce tobacco-related health disparities."

    Among the 1,535 smokers at the start of the study, 63 percent preferred menthol cigarettes, and 36 percent preferred non-menthol. Researchers report 89 percent of blacks smoked menthol cigarettes compared to 29 percent of whites.

    Researchers studied the link between smoking menthol cigarettes and quitting, the build-up of calcium in the arteries leading to the heart, and the change in lung function over 10 years. Doctors examined study participants and their smoking habits in 1985 and again every few years for 15 years.

    The report showed menthol cigarette smokers in 1985 were more likely to still be smoking at their follow-up exams. But they say the reason was mostly because of the combination of blacks being more likely to smoke menthols and less likely to quit smoking.

    Results also show decline in lung function and calcium build-up in the arteries over 10 years were related to the number of cigarettes smoked, but whether the cigarettes were menthol or not did not seem to make a difference.

    African-Americans tend to smoke less than European Americans but have much higher rates of cancer, heart disease, and other smoking-related illnesses. Enditem

    (Agencies)