> At the age of 13 or so, the first cigarettes I smoked were menthol, because the other ones were simply too gross. This is by design. The tobacco industry re

> At the age of 13 or so, the first cigarettes I smoked were menthol, because the other ones were simply too gross. This is by design. The tobacco industry researched the matter themselves years ago, found the level of menthol that teenagers prefer the most, and adjusted their product formulations accordingly. > I'm curious though, as to why people would not simply start smoking "normal" cigarettes if menthol ones were banned. Kids who start 'experimentally' smoking are more likely to stick with it (subsequently developing an addiction) if they smoke menthol cigarettes, specifically because the anesthetic and analgesic effects of menthol make the experience less unpleasant for them. The tobacco industry figured this out and specifically reformulated their cigarettes to optimize for this. They are murderers.