Are Menthol Cigarettes Banned In The UK?
A clear UK guide to the menthol cigarette ban, what it covers, why it happened and the legal menthol alternatives available to ex-smokers.
The short answer
Yes. Menthol cigarettes have been banned in the UK since 20 May 2020, across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Why it happened
Menthol masks the harshness of smoke, making it easier for young people to start and inhale deeply.
The legal swap
Menthol and mint nicotine salts are a legal, far less harmful option for former menthol smokers.
Are menthol cigarettes banned in the UK?
Yes. Since 20 May 2020 it has been illegal to sell menthol cigarettes anywhere in the UK. The ban applies to all shops and online retailers. It covers the whole of the UK uniformly, so there is no question of buying them legally in one nation but not another.
The rule came from the European Union Tobacco Products Directive, which the UK had already written into its own law. After Brexit that law stayed in place, so the menthol ban remains fully in force today and any future changes would be made by the UK government.
This matters because it means the ban is now a settled part of UK law rather than something tied to EU membership. It is not due to expire or be reviewed automatically, so unless Parliament chooses to change it, menthol cigarettes stay off legal sale for the foreseeable future. For most former menthol smokers the practical question has therefore shifted from when the ban might lift to what they can switch to instead.
So the headline is clear. Menthol cigarettes are gone from legal sale. Let us look at exactly what the ban covers and why it was brought in.
It is worth knowing this is a sales ban, aimed at manufacturers and retailers, rather than a law against smokers. Owning or smoking a menthol cigarette is not itself an offence. What changed in 2020 is that shops can no longer make or sell them, which removed the product from legal shelves across the country in one go.
What does the ban cover?
The ban targets any cigarette or hand rolling tobacco with a characterising menthol flavour. That is a broad net, catching several product types that menthol smokers may recognise.
- Menthol cigarettes: all standard menthol and mint flavoured cigarettes.
- Click and crushball cigarettes: those with a capsule in the filter you click to release menthol.
- Menthol skinny cigarettes: the slim formats marketed with a mint taste.
- Menthol rolling tobacco: hand rolling tobacco with mentholated papers or filters sold together.
Other flavoured tobacco was actually banned earlier, back in May 2017. Menthol was given a three year delay before its own ban took effect in 2020, which is why people often remember the menthol date separately.
Timeline of the flavour bans
Illustrative dates for the UK tobacco flavour rules.
Why were they banned?
The aim was to cut smoking, especially among young people. Health groups argued that menthol masks the harshness of cigarette smoke, which makes it easier for new smokers to inhale deeply and become addicted. A smoother first cigarette is a more tempting one, so removing that smoothness was seen as a way to deter people from starting.
There was also a myth to tackle. Many smokers believed menthol cigarettes were somehow less harmful because they felt cooler and smoother, yet that is not the case. Menthol cigarettes carry the same serious health risks as any other, since the harm comes from burning tobacco rather than the flavour.
Public health bodies pushed for the ban for years on exactly these grounds. Flavoured tobacco was seen as a gateway that softened the experience for first time smokers, with menthol the most popular flavour of all. Closing that door was treated as an important step toward the goal of cutting smoking rates across the UK.
Looking for a legal menthol option?
Menthol and mint nicotine salts give that cool hit without burning tobacco. Browse the range or speak to our team for a recommendation.
Why do some people still smoke menthol?
Despite the ban, research suggests around one in seven adult smokers still report using menthol cigarettes, close to a million people. This comes down to loopholes and workarounds rather than legal sales.
The ban targeted the characterising flavour, not menthol as an ingredient everywhere, so menthol accessories such as flavour cards and crushball filter tips remained available for a time. Some people also buy cigarettes overseas or through illicit channels. None of these routes make menthol cigarettes legal to sell in UK shops. Buying from illegal sources carries its own risks with no safety oversight whatsoever.
Is the ban working?
The picture is mixed. The ban did remove menthol cigarettes from legal shelves overnight, which was its main purpose. It also closed off the most visible route to a smooth, minty smoke. For anyone starting out, menthol cigarettes are simply no longer an easy option to pick up.
At the same time, the fact that around one in seven smokers still report some menthol use shows the loopholes have softened the impact. Health groups have called for these gaps to be closed, arguing that menthol and its substitutes should be banned as ingredients across all tobacco products and accessories, not just as a characterising flavour. Whether the UK tightens the rules further is something the government may revisit in future.
The legal menthol alternative
For former menthol smokers, the good news is that a cool minty hit is still available legally, just not by burning tobacco. Menthol and mint nicotine salt e-liquids deliver that familiar fresh flavour and a smooth, satisfying nicotine hit, without the tar and smoke of a cigarette. Nicotine salts are popular for exactly this reason, since they feel smooth even at the higher strengths that suit heavier smokers.
It is worth being clear that vaping is not risk free. It also suits adult smokers rather than non smokers. For someone switching away from menthol cigarettes, though, the move from burning tobacco to a regulated menthol nicotine salt is widely seen by UK health bodies as a major step down in harm. The cool flavour many people missed is fully available again, just in a very different and far less harmful form.
This is why so many people who used menthol cigarettes moved across to menthol vapes after the ban. If you want to dig deeper, see our explainer on whether vaping is better than smoking. It pairs well with our guide on whether vaping helps reduce cigarette dependence and our look at whether long term vaping is safer than long term smoking.
For the full set of guides, the vaping and health hub brings everything together in one place.
The bottom line: menthol cigarettes have been banned from sale in the UK since 20 May 2020, covering cigarettes and menthol rolling tobacco across the whole country. The ban aimed to deter young smokers, while menthol nicotine salts are the legal, far less harmful way to keep that cool minty hit.
Miss that menthol hit?
Explore menthol and mint nicotine salts with fast UK delivery. You can also speak to the Vape Chaos team for a personal recommendation.
Frequently asked questions
Are menthol cigarettes banned in the UK?
Yes. Menthol cigarettes have been illegal to sell in the UK since 20 May 2020. The ban applies to all shops and online retailers across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
What does the menthol ban cover?
Any cigarette or hand rolling tobacco with a characterising menthol flavour, including click and crushball cigarettes, menthol skinny cigarettes and mentholated rolling tobacco sold with papers or filters.
Why were menthol cigarettes banned?
To cut smoking, especially among young people. Menthol masks the harshness of smoke, making it easier for new smokers to inhale deeply and get addicted. Menthol cigarettes are no less harmful than others.
Why do some people still smoke menthol cigarettes?
Around one in seven smokers still report using them through loopholes such as menthol accessories, plus overseas and illicit purchases. None of these make them legal to sell in UK shops. Illicit sources also carry extra risks of their own.
What is the legal alternative to menthol cigarettes?
Menthol and mint nicotine salt e-liquids give a cool, fresh flavour and a smooth nicotine hit without burning tobacco. They are a far less harmful option that many former menthol smokers switched to after the ban.
