Help & Guidance

Are Menthol Cigarettes Banned in the UK?

Yes, since May 2020. What the ban covers, why it was introduced, the grey areas, and the legal menthol alternatives.

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Yes. Menthol cigarettes have been banned in the UK since 20 May 2020. If you used to smoke menthols and noticed they disappeared from shops, that is why. This guide explains what the ban covers, why it was introduced, the grey areas people ask about, and the legal alternatives for anyone who misses that cool, minty character, including menthol vaping.

The menthol cigarette ban is a settled, long standing rule rather than a recent change, but it still generates plenty of questions, partly because of the various menthol accessories that appeared afterwards.

What the ban covers

The ban prohibits the sale of cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco with a characterising flavour, with menthol being the most well known example. It was part of wider European tobacco rules adopted into UK law, designed to remove flavours that made smoking more palatable, particularly for younger or newer smokers. Plain, unflavoured cigarettes remain legal to sell to adults, but menthol and other characterising flavours in cigarettes do not.

Why menthol was targeted

Menthol's cooling effect can mask the harshness of tobacco smoke, which can make cigarettes easier to start with and to keep smoking. Public health authorities took the view that removing that masking effect would discourage smoking, especially among young people. Since smoking is the most harmful way to consume nicotine, reducing anything that made it more appealing was the goal.

Menthol cigarettes have been off the legal market since 2020. The cooling flavour that many smokers liked is, however, available in far less harmful forms.

The grey areas people ask about

After the ban, various menthol accessories appeared, such as flavour cards, drops and sprays marketed to add a menthol note to tobacco. The legality and availability of such products has been contested and is best treated with caution, since the clear intent of the law was to remove menthol from cigarettes. The straightforward, unambiguous position is that menthol cigarettes and menthol rolling tobacco themselves are banned, and trying to work around that with add on products sits against the spirit of the rules.

Menthol vaping is a legal alternative

For former menthol smokers, the good news is that menthol and iced flavours remain widely available in vaping, which is both legal for adults and far less harmful than smoking. Many people who smoked menthols find that a menthol or iced fruit vape gives them the cool character they missed, while moving them away from cigarettes altogether. This is one area where the law and harm reduction line up neatly.

Product	Status
Menthol cigarettes	Banned since 20 May 2020
Menthol hand rolling tobacco	Banned
Plain cigarettes	Legal for adults
Menthol and iced vapes	Legal for adults, far less harmful than smoking

If you are trying to leave cigarettes

If the menthol ban has you thinking about stopping smoking altogether, that is a positive step, and there is plenty of support. A menthol or iced vape can be an effective switch for a former menthol smoker, and free local stop smoking services can help you quit for good if that is your aim. Either way, moving away from cigarettes is the single best thing you can do for your health.

A note on the wider direction of travel

It is worth knowing that tobacco rules continue to tighten. The generational tobacco sales ban, beginning in 2027, will progressively phase out the legal sale of tobacco to younger people, as part of a long term goal of a smoke free UK. Vaping, by contrast, remains available to adults as a less harmful alternative. Our guide on whether vapes are being banned explains how the two are treated differently.

Frequently asked questions

When were menthol cigarettes banned?

On 20 May 2020, when the sale of cigarettes and rolling tobacco with a characterising flavour like menthol became illegal.

Are menthol cigarettes still available anywhere legally?

No, not on the legal UK market. Anything claiming otherwise should be treated with caution.

Can I still get a menthol flavour?

Yes, in vaping. Menthol and iced vape flavours are legal for adults and far less harmful than smoking.

Are menthol vapes going to be banned too?

There is no current ban on menthol vapes. The government has powers to restrict vape flavours in future, but none is in place now.

Why some smokers struggle without menthol

For people who only ever smoked menthols, the ban removed the specific thing they liked, that cool, smooth character that took the edge off the smoke. Some switched to plain cigarettes, some sought out grey market workarounds, and many simply carried on smoking while missing the menthol. This is worth acknowledging honestly, because for those smokers, a menthol or iced vape can be a genuinely welcome alternative, offering the cooling sensation they missed in a form that is both legal and far less harmful than any cigarette, mentholated or not.

Choosing a menthol vape

If you are a former menthol smoker exploring vaping, you are spoilt for choice. Pure menthol flavours give that clean, cool hit, while iced fruit flavours pair the cooling sensation with a touch of sweetness, which many people enjoy as an all day option. Starting with a small selection lets you find whether you prefer a straight menthol or a fruity ice. A mouth to lung pod kit will feel closest to a cigarette in draw, making the switch from menthol smoking as natural as possible.

The bottom line

Are menthol cigarettes banned in the UK? Yes, since 20 May 2020 it has been illegal to sell cigarettes and rolling tobacco with a characterising flavour such as menthol. Plain cigarettes remain legal for adults, but the menthol versions are gone, and add on products that try to recreate the effect sit against the spirit of the law. For the cooling character itself, menthol and iced vapes are legal for adults and far less harmful than smoking, making them a sensible route for former menthol smokers looking to move on from cigarettes.

What the ban did and did not change

It is worth being precise about the scope of the menthol cigarette ban, because confusion is common. What changed is that cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco with a characterising flavour, menthol being the headline example, can no longer be sold legally. What did not change is the availability of plain, unflavoured tobacco for adults, which remains legal, and the wider world of menthol in other products. Menthol itself is not banned as a substance, it is the sale of mentholated cigarettes and rolling tobacco specifically that is prohibited. This is why menthol and iced vapes, which are an entirely different category, remained legal, and it is why the cooling flavour so many smokers liked did not disappear from the market altogether, it simply moved into far less harmful products.

A healthier way to keep the cool flavour

If there is a silver lining for former menthol smokers, it is this. The ban removed menthol from the most harmful possible delivery method, the burning cigarette, while the same cooling character remained available in vaping, which is far less harmful. For someone who smoked menthols and has been reluctant to give up that distinctive taste, a menthol or iced vape can be a genuinely satisfying switch, delivering the sensation they valued without the smoke and tar. In that sense the ban, combined with the availability of menthol vapes, nudges menthol smokers towards a better option rather than simply taking something away. For anyone ready to move on from cigarettes entirely, that is an opportunity worth taking, and free stop smoking support is there to help.

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A quick word on safety and the law

Vaping products are intended for adult smokers and existing vapers as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes. They contain nicotine unless stated otherwise, which is addictive, and they are not suitable for non smokers, pregnant women or anyone under 18. By law you must be 18 or over to buy vaping products in the UK, and we age verify every order. If you want to stop using nicotine altogether, your local stop smoking service offers free, tailored support.

UK public health bodies advise that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, but it is not risk free, and if you do not smoke the advice is not to start.

This guide is general information about UK rules as they currently stand and is not legal advice. Laws can change, so for the definitive and latest position always check official government guidance on GOV.UK.