The impact of the European Union’s menthol cigarette ban on smoking cessation outcomes: Longitudinal findings from the 2020-2021 ITC Netherlands Surveys

Introduction: To reduce the appeal of tobacco, the European Union (EU) banned menthol as a characterising flavour in cigarettes in May 2020. This pre-post study evaluated the impact of the menthol ban on smoking cessation outcomes among a representative cohort of Dutch smokers. Methods: Adult (18+ years) smokers were recruited at Wave 1 (pre-ban) of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Surveys (February-March 2020) and followed post-ban at Wave 2 (September-November 2020) and Wave 3 (June-July 2021) (N=1,326, participated in all three waves). Weighted bivariate, logistic regression, and generalised estimating equation model analyses were conducted. Results: Usual menthol use decreased from pre-ban (7.8%) to post-ban (4.0% at Wave 2 and 4.4% at Wave 3) (p