The Public Health Impact of a Ban on Flavored Cigars: A Decision-Theoretic Policy Framework.

Unlike menthol cigarette use and menthol bans, flavored cigar use and flavored cigar bans have received minimal attention. Transitions from cigars, especially dual and flavored use, are generally common compared to cigarettes. Our policy framework suggests important public health impacts. A flavored cigar ban absent a menthol cigarette ban may be partially undermined by the substitution of menthol cigarettes for flavored cigars. Adding a menthol cigarette ban is expected to offset such substitution and improve public health. However, simultaneously adding an ENDS with a flavored cigar and menthol cigarette ban may reduce the public health impact of a menthol cigarette and cigar flavor ban since flavored cigar users would be less able to substitute a lower-risk alternative.