Although little data suggest menthol itself is addictive, its reduction of smoke's irritant effect can lead people to smoke more, inhale more deeply, and hold smoke longer, increasing nicotine exposure.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by FDA report and multiple peer-reviewed/academic sources (Georgetown, PMC, ScienceDirect) consistent with scientific consensus on menthol's role in smoking behavior. [tier=gold indep_score=1.0 clusters=4 claim_tier=notable]
Sources
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Why are menthol-flavored cigarettes a ... (seed:food_and_diet)
- https://www.fda.gov/media/157642/download (corroboration)
- https://gumc.georgetown.edu/news-release/not-just-a-flavoring-menthol-and-nicotine-combined-desensitize-airway-receptors/ (corroboration)
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4330502/ (corroboration)
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027323001200089X (corroboration)