Sensory Tests of Cigarettes for Identification of Flavors in Current Daily Smoking Adults

Description

This clinical trial tests how well current daily smoking adults can identify flavors of cigarettes. Menthol cigarettes account for 31 percent of cigarettes sold in the United States. Flavors such as menthol play an important role in the start and continued use of tobacco products. Two ways users experience flavor is through smell and taste. Menthol has cooling and numbing properties that can increase perceptions of smoothness and reduce the perceived harshness of smoke. Menthol adds a taste and aroma commonly described as "minty". The effect of menthol flavoring on smoking behavior has been studied. Use of menthol cigarettes has been associated with greater nicotine dependence and is associated with both fewer quit attempts and lower odds of quit success. In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration proposed to restrict the use of menthol as a flavor in cigarettes. Menthol has already been banned in Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union. In late 2022, a restriction on all flavored tobacco products went into effect in California (CA), prompting the tobacco industry to introduce substitute products that did not contain menthol. It is important to find out whether New York (NY) adult smokers who smoke menthol cigarettes can identify and characterize flavors in the same cigarette brand as sold in NY versus CA following the ban of menthol cigarettes in 2022.

Conditions

Cigarette Smoking-Related Carcinoma

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

This clinical trial tests how well current daily smoking adults can identify flavors of cigarettes. Menthol cigarettes account for 31 percent of cigarettes sold in the United States. Flavors such as menthol play an important role in the start and continued use of tobacco products. Two ways users experience flavor is through smell and taste. Menthol has cooling and numbing properties that can increase perceptions of smoothness and reduce the perceived harshness of smoke. Menthol adds a taste and aroma commonly described as "minty". The effect of menthol flavoring on smoking behavior has been studied. Use of menthol cigarettes has been associated with greater nicotine dependence and is associated with both fewer quit attempts and lower odds of quit success. In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration proposed to restrict the use of menthol as a flavor in cigarettes. Menthol has already been banned in Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union. In late 2022, a restriction on all flavored tobacco products went into effect in California (CA), prompting the tobacco industry to introduce substitute products that did not contain menthol. It is important to find out whether New York (NY) adult smokers who smoke menthol cigarettes can identify and characterize flavors in the same cigarette brand as sold in NY versus CA following the ban of menthol cigarettes in 2022.

Sensory Evaluation of Cigarettes Claiming Removal of Menthol as a Characterizing Flavor

Sensory Tests of Cigarettes for Identification of Flavors in Current Daily Smoking Adults

Condition
Cigarette Smoking-Related Carcinoma
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Buffalo

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, United States, 14263

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Aged 21-55 years old
  • * Current daily smoker of factory-made menthol cigarettes
  • * General good health (assessed by self-rated health item)
  • * Completion of Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) with no identification of deficits
  • * Daily concurrent use of other tobacco products (e.g., e-cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco)
  • * Known allergies to mint (peppermint, spearmint), menthol
  • * Self-reported olfactory or taste deficits
  • * Pregnant or nursing participants, as indicated by self-report
  • * History of medications known to interfere with sense of smell
  • * Positive diagnosis of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) within 10 days of enrollment
  • * Current upper respiratory infection or sinus congestion (e.g., cold, flu, seasonal allergies) (by self report)

Ages Eligible for Study

21 Years to 55 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

Roswell Park Cancer Institute,

Richard J O'Connor, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Study Record Dates

2026-02-28