Association of Ontario’s Ban on Menthol Cigarettes With Smoking Behavior 1 Month After Implementation

Abstract

The province of Ontario, Canada, implemented a full menthol cigarette ban on January 1, 2017. To date, there has been no population-wide, systematic evaluation of the association of the implementation of a menthol ban with smoker behavior. Assessments of perceived behavioral responses to hypothetical menthol flavor bans are useful; however, there is no guarantee that individuals will follow through with their planned behaviors. This study compares respondents’ planned behavior before the ban with actual behavior 1 month after the ban.