Menthol cigarettes including cigarettes which contain capsules with a mint flavour are to be banned in the UK this year from 20 May 2020, as new legislation comes into force. From 20th May 2020, it will be illegal for shops to sell menthol cigarettes.

The menthol ban stems from the European Union’s Tobacco Products Directive. The menthol ban was incorporated into English law through the Tobacco and Related Product Regulations 2016 prohibiting cigarettes with a characterising flavour. A “characterising flavour” means a smell or taste other than tobacco which is clearly noticeable before or during consumption and results from an additive or combination of additives, including menthol and others.

As part of this specific law which is derived from the European Union’s Tobacco Products Directive, menthol and other flavoured cigarettes will be banned through the European Union, including the UK. The ban on menthol cigarettes is unaffected by the UK leaving the European Union. Elsewhere in the world, other bans are being considered and coming into effect. A ban on menthol and other flavoured cigarettes was reinstated in Brazil in 2018 and the United States is exploring proposals to ban menthol cigarettes.