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The FDA announced recently that it was moving forward on research and review into the effects of menthol cigarettes on the market and on smokers. They’re saying that in review, they’re finding that menthol cigarettes are more dangerous than standard.

The FDA has yet to push forward a recommendation based on this information. You can read a rundown of the concerns about menthol cigarettes here.

Why does this matter to electronic cigarettes? Well, this stance and effort could be indicative of regulation strategies that the FDA might implement against electronic cigarettes.

Thus far, the FDA has been running into trouble attempting to control the electronic cigarette market. Although much of the push has been to qualify e-cigs as either tobacco cigarettes or medical devices for the purposes of regulation, courts have thus far prevented it. But that isn’t preventing the FDA from moving in that direction.

Among other concerns of anti-smoking groups is that even regulated as tobacco products, a number of issues currently resolved for conventional cigarettes will have to be revisited for electronic cigarettes. Chief among this issues is that of flavor restrictions.

Many e-cig opponents believe that the existence of flavor variety attracts kids to smoking and makes adults less likely to quit. So regardless of what category e-cigs are regulated under, the FDA may still decide to push for flavor bans.

As the last vestige of flavor in the world of smoked cigarettes, menthol represents that one piece of compromise in flavored nicotine. If the FDA can get rid of it before it takes control of the world of electronic cigarettes (if that does happen), it will have an easier time arguing against the existence of flavored e-cigs.