The findings of a survey show that the use of menthol cigarettes is increasing in the United States.

In national surveys conducted between 2010 and 2014, a total of 39% of current cigarette smokers reported choosing menthol brands, compared with 35% of current smokers surveyed between 2008 and 2010.

Younger smokers were more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes than older smokers, and the increase in overall menthol cigarette use was most pronounced among whites, Asians, and Hispanics.

African-American smokers have traditionally been the largest consumers of menthol cigarettes, and this remains the case: in the 2008-2010 and 2012-2014 surveys, respectively, 86% and 84.6% of African-American smokers reported preferring menthol brands.

The new survey findings were reported by Andrea Villanti, PhD, director for Regulatory Science and Policy at the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at the anti-tobacco group Truth Initiative in Washington, D.C., and colleagues, online in Tobacco Control.

For the first time in 2014, more young adult smokers reported favoring menthol cigarettes over non-menthol cigarettes, Villanti told MedPage Today.

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