The History of Menthol Cigarettes

The Invention of Menthol Cigarettes (1924)

Menthol cigarettes were first invented and marketed in 1924 by an American company called Spud — a name that seems almost comical today. The brand was named after its inventor, Lloyd “Spud” Hughes [citation:1]. Menthol — a compound extracted from peppermint oil — was originally added to tobacco as a local anesthetic to soothe the throat. Early menthol cigarettes were even promoted as an alternative to conventional cigarettes “in the face of a cold” [citation:2].

• 📅 1924: Spud brand launches the first mentholated cigarette [citation:1].
• 🧊 Original purpose: Menthol acted as a local anesthetic, numbing the throat and masking the harshness of early unfiltered cigarettes.
• 🇨🇦 Canadian connection: Rock City Tobacco Co. (Quebec City) produced “Spud Menthol Cooled Fine Cut” tobacco tins [citation:3].

The 1930s: Marketing to Women

In the 1930s, menthol cigarette sales expanded, with manufacturers marketing the cool, minty, slightly throat-numbing cigarettes to women as a luxury product [citation:1]. Brands like Kool (launched in 1931) and Spud competed for this emerging market.

• 🐧 Kool (1931): First marketed as an unfiltered, 70mm mentholated brand; later introduced “Willie the Penguin” mascot [citation:2].
• 👩 Target audience: Women seeking a “cooler,” “lighter” smoking experience.
• 📊 Market share: Until the 1960s, menthols never accounted for more than 5% of the American cigarette market [citation:1].

The Turning Point: Targeted Marketing to African Americans (1960s-1980s)

Between the 1950s and 1980s, cigarette companies began aggressively marketing menthol cigarettes to African Americans — a strategy that led to a five-fold increase in menthol sales [citation:1]. By 2002, while only 25% of white American smokers smoked menthols, 70% of African American smokers chose menthol brands [citation:1].

• 📈 Growth: Menthol sales skyrocketed through targeted advertising, community sponsorship, and culturally specific marketing.
• 🚬 Brand dominance: Newport and Kool became the preferred brands in African American communities.
• ⚠️ Health disparities: The disproportionate marketing contributed to higher rates of smoking-related diseases in African American populations.

Menthol in Canada: A Different Story

While menthols became dominant in the United States, Canadian consumption remained much lower. In 2006, only 4.6% of adult Canadian smokers described themselves as regular menthol consumers [citation:1]. However, menthol was disproportionately popular among youth:

• 🧒 Youth smoking (2010-11): Almost 32% of students in grades 9-12 who had smoked in the past month had smoked menthols — with Alberta at 37% [citation:1].
• 🌍 Racial differences (Canada): Aboriginal, Black, and Latino teen smokers chose menthols more often than white youth — Black students twice as likely, Hispanic students three times as likely [citation:1].

🚬 Popular Canadian Menthol Brands

• Craven A Menthol: Produced by Rothmans, Benson & Hedges; available in “Special Mild” 25-pack boxes [citation:5].
• du Maurier Smooth: The menthol variant of Canada’s iconic premium brand.
• Belmont Menthol: Another RBH offering.
• Canadian Classics Menthol (“Green”): A value brand variant available in some provinces [citation:7].

The Menthol Ban: Canada Leads the World

Beginning in 2015, several Canadian provinces became world leaders in banning flavoured tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes [citation:6].

📅 Timeline of the Ban

• 🔹 May 2015: Nova Scotia becomes the first jurisdiction in the world to ban menthol cigarettes [citation:6].
• 🔹 2015-2016: Alberta, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario follow with provincial bans [citation:6].
• 🔹 October 2017: Federal menthol ban takes effect nationwide [citation:6].
• 🔹 November 2018: Menthol additives banned in all tobacco products sold in Canada [citation:6].

📊 Impact of the Ban

• ✅ Increased quit attempts: 24% of daily menthol smokers made a quit attempt after the ban [citation:6].
• ✅ No contraband surge: No credible evidence of increased contraband sales — despite pre-existing availability [citation:6].
• ✅ No switch to e-cigarettes: Former menthol smokers did not significantly switch to vaping [citation:6].
• ⚖️ Legal challenges failed: Imperial Tobacco and JTI-Macdonald filed constitutional challenges; none advanced [citation:6].

The Capsule Cigarette Loophole (2015)

In June 2015 — just as provincial bans were taking effect — the tobacco industry introduced a new innovation: menthol flavour capsule cigarettes [citation:6]. These cigarettes contained a small plastic capsule in the filter that could be crushed by the smoker to release menthol flavour on demand.

• 💊 How it works: A small capsule in the filter contains liquid menthol; when crushed, it releases cooling flavour.
• 📈 Explosive growth: In provinces without menthol bans, sales of menthol cigarettes increased from 6.2% of total sales in 2015 to 11.8% in 2016 after capsule cigarettes were introduced [citation:6].
• 🚫 Closed quickly: The federal ban eventually covered capsule cigarettes as well.

💊 Canadian Brands with Menthol Capsules

• Canadian Crush (Canadian Classics): A menthol capsule cigarette produced by Rothmans, Benson & Hedges [citation:7].
• Canadian Classics Crush: Available in menthol and other flavours.
• Belmont Edge: A capsule variant.

The Aftermath: Native Cigarettes Keep Menthol Alive

While the federal ban made menthol cigarettes illegal from commercial manufacturers, native cigarettes from First Nations reserves were largely exempt. Today, Cigstore.ca continues to offer menthol varieties, including:

• Canadian Menthol ($29.00): Smooth, balanced menthol with natural Virginia tobacco.
• Playfare Menthol ($35.00): Stronger menthol presence, popular among former Newport smokers.
• Pop N Smoke Menthol ($37.50): Capsule-activated menthol — squeeze the filter for adjustable cooling intensity.
• Pop N Smoke Apple Mint, Blueberry Mint ($37.50): Fruit + menthol blends for flavored cooling sensation.

Public Health Impact of the Menthol Ban

Research on Canada’s menthol ban has shown significant positive public health outcomes [citation:6]:

• 📉 Increased quit rates: Menthol smokers were twice as likely to quit successfully after the ban.
• 📊 No contraband surge: Illicit cigarette seizures declined, with no statistically significant difference before and after the ban.
• 🔬 No switching to flavoured alternatives: Former menthol smokers did not switch to other flavoured tobacco products, e-cigarettes, or contraband.
• 🌍 Global influence: Canada’s experience has influenced other countries considering menthol bans, including the UK and EU member states.