Presence of menthol and menthol compounds in hookah products

A Dutch study reviewed 282 shisha tobacco products and 39 % contained menthol or a menthol flavour in their description. An analysis of the composition of 18 tested products, half of which contained sensory descriptors (“ice”, “freeze”, “mint”), shows that 15 of them contained menthol or menthol compounds. Although the presence of flavours is still tolerated in shisha products, the authors call on policy makers to strengthen legislation on these products.

In both smoked cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, the presence of menthol has the dual effect of facilitating inhalation and increasing the absorption of nicotine. It is for these reasons that menthol flavours have been banned in cigarettes and rolling tobacco. in Europe, under the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), as well as in Canada, and that they should also be in the United States. Cigars and shisha (water pipe) products, however, benefit from an exception in the TPD on the issue of flavourings.

With many hookah products featuring references to menthol, a team of Dutch researchers explored the presence of menthol and menthol compounds in a sample of products[1].

Menthol and menthol compounds detected in 15 out of 18 products tested

The study listed 282 shisha tobacco products placed on the Dutch market as shisha products. By examining 257 of these products for which the list of ingredients was available, the researchers found that 39 % of them displayed the presence of menthol or a menthol compound.

Other non-tobacco hookah products, such as herbal molasses and steam stones[2] (or shisha stones), are also on sale in the Netherlands, but are not systematically registered.

A sample of 18 of these hookah products, half of which had sensory descriptors such as "ice", "freeze", "mint", was then subjected to chromatic analysis. This sample consisted of 5 hookah tobaccos with different flavors, 12 steam stones with 7 different flavors and a herbal molasses.

The presence of menthol or menthol compounds was detected in 15 of the products analyzed, including those without sensory descriptors. Present in 14 of these 15 products, menthol was the most frequently identified substance and had higher concentrations than menthol compounds. Products with sensory descriptors contained a higher median concentration of menthol or menthol compounds than products without sensory descriptors.

Call for strengthening legislation on shisha products

The authors of the study thus note that, even when it is not mentioned, most of the hookah products tested (83.4 %) still contained a presence of menthol or mentholated compound. This presence of menthol facilitates inhalation by reducing the pungency of tobacco, which promotes smoking initiation. However, the practice of hookah has been highlighted as a front door in smoking among young people. It also represents a mode of tobacco consumption that releases very large quantities of tar and carbon monoxide.[3]By facilitating the consumption of shisha products, the presence of menthol or mentholated compounds thus contributes to maintaining the smoking epidemic.

The number of hookah tobacco products registered as being sold in the Netherlands has grown rapidly, from 249 in 2019 to 282 in 2020. In order to better regulate this market, the authors call on legislators to extend the ban on flavours, including menthol, to other tobacco products such as hookah. They also recommend analysing all hookah products to detect those that contain menthol or mentholated compounds without mentioning them. Finally, in order to limit the attractiveness and harmfulness of hookah products, they recommend removing sensory descriptors such as "ice", "freeze", "cool" or "mint", which are affixed to packages and which are prohibited by the current European directive on tobacco products.

Keywords: Netherlands, shisha products, shisha tobacco, molasses, steam stones, menthol, menthol compounds

©Tobacco Free Generation

M.F.

[1] Bakker-'t Hart IM, Bakker F, Pennings JL, Talhout R. Menthol and related compounds in waterpipe products. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation. 2024;10(February):9. doi:10.18332/tpc/177170.

[2] Hookah steam stones are made of a porous mineral soaked in a solution of glycerol and plant fragrances.

[3] Is hookah less toxic than cigarettes? CNCT, Frequently Asked Questions.

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