At Frizc, we combined our expertise with some lucky discoveries to uncover that scents can be trasnferred on any surface. The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world’s first global public health treaty, recommends banning menthol tobacco products.

FLAVOUR CARDS - Roberts Direct SMOKING ACCESSORIES - FLAVOUR CARDS - Roberts Direct

STOP is a global tobacco industry watchdog whose mission is to expose the tobacco industry strategies and tactics that undermine public health. Tobacco companies have long harnessed consumers’ misperceptions about menthol to appeal to new populations of young smokers – a key strategy to securing profits. Alternatively, tobacco companies may use it to push for the weakening of existing tobacco control measures. Despite a global decline in smoking, the number of young people smoking menthol cigarettes has not decreased. In a submission about TPD2 to the UK government in 2014, PMI said that the menthol ban ‘lacks evidence’ and would not improve public health, in contradiction to the available evidence and evaluations of other similar bans.

Now, following the UK menthol ban, tobacco companies continue to evolve and are using ever more sophisticated tactics to exploit loopholes by introducing new products that fall outside the ban, for example accessories sold separately from cigarette packs such as menthol filters (including ones that can slot into filter holes in cigarettes, see Image 1), menthol capsules and even menthol ‘flavour infusion’ cards that can be inserted into packs of cigarettes which take on the flavour and aroma of the card, as well as menthol flavoured cigarette-like cigarillos complete with flavour capsules. In contrast, an article by The Sun, which has 22% of the national newspaper readership, states that the ‘draconian’ ban was introduced because “Brussels…believed their “pleasant flavour” could attract people to take up smoking. In fact, tobacco control regulations are referred to as ‘unnecessary and meddlesome’ and part of ‘nanny state measures’. Tobacco companies attempted to undermine the ban in Canada by heavily promoting menthol capsule cigarettes prior to the ban and thereafter by introducing packaging, filter tip colours, and text descriptors that conveyed menthol-like qualities.

Rizla Flavour Infusions Menthol Chill Cards Box of 25 Rizla Flavour Infusions Menthol Chill Cards Box of 25

EU legislation prohibits menthol as a characterising flavour but not as an ingredient in cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco, papers or filters, and this ban does not extend to cigars, cigarillos or other accessories such as flavour infusion cards.

Flavourings, particularly menthol, appeal to young people and are erroneously perceived as less harmful.