Menthol cigarettes will be banned in the United Kingdom from next week in a bid to discourage young people from taking up smoking.
The ban - part of a European Union initiative - will come into effect on Wednesday, May 20.
Under the new directive, flavoured rolling tobacco and "skinny" cigarettes will be outlawed.
Experts believe youngsters use flavoured cigarettes as they relax airways and lower the severity of smoke.
While it is commonly believed that menthol cigarettes are less harmful than their regular counterparts, they are actually just as damaging to people's health.
The ban comes from the EU's new Tobacco Product Directive laws, which prohibit all menthol cigarettes.
In 2018, nearly one in eight UK smokers rated menthols their favourite.
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of public health charity Action on Smoking and Health, told the Liverpool Echo : "Research shows that menthol in cigarettes makes it easier for children to try smoking and to go on to become addicted smokers.
"Getting rid of menthol cigarettes will reduce the likelihood of young people taking up smoking, and make it easier for smokers to quit."
Under the new regulations, no person may produce or supply cigarettes or hand rolling tobacco with:
(a) a filter, paper, package, capsule or other component containing flavourings;
(b) a filter, paper or capsule containing tobacco or nicotine; or
(c) a technical feature allowing the consumer to modify the smell, taste, or smoke intensity of the product.
According to Cancer Research, two-thirds of smokers start before the age of 18 with tobacco smoking causing an estimated 100,000 deaths every year in the UK.
Amanda Sandford, information manager at ASH, welcomed the ban and said she hopes the move will lead to less young people smoking.
She explained: "It is naturally hard to inhale smoke and for many the first time they smoke it is repugnant, but people persevere with it and that's when they become addicted.
"There is evidence that menthol cigarettes relax the airways and the flavour masks the harshness of the smoke, therefore younger people find it easier to smoke."
She added: "All cigarettes are harmful and menthol cigarettes are just as dangerous as normal cigarettes."
You can find more information about how to stop smoking here.
