# Black People and Menthol Cigarettes - is it just a US thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-menthol-cigarettes-is-it-just-a-us-thing/575478 "2011-03-21T15:42:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-menthol-cigarettes-is-it-just-a-us-thing/575478/21 "2011-03-22T22:55:15Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > I’m in Ireland and I’ve never heard this association before. The only black smoker I know smokes Silk Cut Purple (non-menthol). > > In fact, I’m not positive we actually have menthol cigarettes here. Hell, I didn’t even know you folks had Blacks! ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-menthol-cigarettes-is-it-just-a-us-thing/575478/22 "2011-03-23T00:03:46Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Hell, I didn’t even know you folks had Blacks! You’ve never heard of [Black Irish](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TehFZ38kt6o)? ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-menthol-cigarettes-is-it-just-a-us-thing/575478/23 "2011-03-23T01:17:19Z")
I’m from the South, and have heard a whole lot of Black People do \_\_\_\_\_\_. I’ve never heard this one, though. Anecdote: I smoked for many years in my youth. Marlboro Menthols. Stopped long before my kids were born. My adult son now smokes. He independently chose the same brand, having no idea what I used to smoke. This seems curious to me. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-menthol-cigarettes-is-it-just-a-us-thing/575478/24 "2011-03-23T14:44:38Z")
> [@black\_rabbit](#): > > You’ve never heard of [Black Irish](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TehFZ38kt6o)? [Emily Litella]Oh. That’s very different. _Nevermind_.[/EL] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-menthol-cigarettes-is-it-just-a-us-thing/575478/25 "2011-03-23T23:11:27Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > I’m from the South, and have heard a whole lot of Black People do \_\_\_\_\_\_. I’ve never heard this one, though. > > Anecdote: I smoked for many years in my youth. Marlboro Menthols. Stopped long before my kids were born. My adult son now smokes. He independently chose the same brand, having no idea what I used to smoke. This seems curious to me. If you look above you’ll see a link which proves this to be true. No idea how you could not run into this. Totally unscientific observation: I have not been a smoker for years. Back then all of my white friends smoked regulars. Most of my black friends smoked menthols. But I have recently noticed that a lot more of those I know of all races seem to be smoking menthols. But the number of people in total that I know now who smoke is much less. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-menthol-cigarettes-is-it-just-a-us-thing/575478.md?page=1)