A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health and discussed in this article at WebMD.com, points to tobacco companies’ manipulation of menthol levels in cigarettes in order to attract younger smokers. The study also points to these same smokers as adults requiring stronger menthol levels in their cigarettes.

The study used internal documents from tobacco companies, marketing research, lab testing of menthol cigarette brands, and a U.S. drug use survey to gather it’s data. The study proposes that the use of mild menthol levels in cigarettes makes smoking more attractive to youth because it soothes the harshness of the cigarette smoke making initial smoking attempts more palatable.

Cigarette manufacturers deny the study’s claims, saying they have drawn the wrong conclusions from the collected data and pointing out that menthol is not addicting. The study authors agree but conclude that menthol might play a part in potentiating the addictive nature of nicotine in cigarettes.