RAPID SMOKING OF MENTHOL AND NONMENTHOL CIGARETTES BY BLACK-AND-WHITESMOKERS

White subjects took significantly more puffs of cigarette smoke before stopping than did black subjects in a modified, controlled-dose rapid smoking procedure. Paradoxically, however, no racial differences were detected for changes in carbon monoxide levels, or changes in cardiov ascular variables (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart ra te). Due to the cooling and topical anesthetic properties of menthol, it was hypothesized that menthol and regular cigarette smokers would t ake more puffs from menthol cigarettes than from regular cigarettes be fore stopping in the controlled-dose rapid smoking procedure. However, no difference was observed for the number of puffs taken from regular as opposed to menthol cigarettes (cigarette type condition) and no di fferences were found for Cigarette Preference (regular smokers vs. men thol smokers).