The difference between a menthol and a regular cigarette is one additive and everything that follows from it. The tobacco is broadly the same material; the experience is not.
The immediate difference
Cooling. Menthol activates cold receptors in the mouth and throat, so the smoke feels colder than it is. On a strong menthol like Newport, this is immediate and pronounced. On a light Japanese menthol, it is a background note.
The draw
Menthol slightly anaesthetises the throat, which makes a deep inhalation feel less harsh. Smokers often report that a menthol draws more easily, and physiologically that is partly true — the resistance is the same, but the perceived difficulty is lower.
This is the mechanism behind the public health concern: a cigarette that is easier to inhale deeply is a cigarette that delivers more smoke per puff.
The aftertaste
Regular cigarettes leave a tobacco finish — dry, slightly ashy, sometimes sweet depending on the casing. Menthol leaves a cooling residue that fades over a minute or two, and it tends to mask the tobacco finish rather than replace it.
That masking is why some smokers find menthol cigarettes harder to stop: the usual cues are muted.
What does not change
Tar delivery at the same rating. Nicotine delivery at the same rating. Combustion products. The health risk profile of the category.
Menthol does not filter smoke, does not reduce tar, and does not make a cigarette safer. A 10mg menthol and a 10mg regular deliver broadly the same things, with different sensory framing.
Who smokes which
Menthol is roughly a third of the US market and considerably more in some demographic segments. Historically it has been marketed more heavily in Black communities, a pattern that is central to the current policy debate and to the civil rights organisations that have argued both for and against a ban.
Outside the US, menthol share varies enormously — high in Japan and Korea, restricted in the UK and EU since 2020, common in parts of Latin America.
Switching between them
Going from regular to menthol is easy and most people adjust within a pack. Going the other way is harder, because the cooling has been masking the tobacco’s roughness, and the unmasked version can feel harsh for a week or two.
If you are switching off menthol deliberately, a lighter regular cigarette is usually easier than a full-strength one. Marlboro Gold is a more forgiving transition than Red.
Which menthols we stock
Five, spanning the styles: Newport Menthol Box, Newport Menthol 100, Mevius E-Series 5mg, ESSE Super Slim 5mg, and the non-menthol Seven Stars as the full-strength comparator.