Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) awarded $690,741 to the University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc. on June 15, 2026, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to conduct a rigorous clinical research study evaluating the impact of synthetic cooling agent cigarettes on smoking behavior and abuse liability among adults who smoke menthol cigarettes. The project, scheduled for completion by March 31, 2031, will examine three regulatory scenarios—no menthol ban, partial ban (menthol prohibited but cooling agents permitted), and full ban (both menthol and cooling agents prohibited)—to assess how each scenario affects smoking patterns and dependence risk among menthol cigarette users, a population experiencing significant tobacco-related health consequences.

The research addresses a critical regulatory gap created by the tobacco industry's development of cooling agent substitute products (such as WS-3) that bypass menthol bans by replicating the sensory cooling effect without containing menthol itself. Using a randomized study design with adults who smoke menthol cigarettes assigned to conditions simulating each regulatory scenario, the project will generate evidence to inform potential menthol product standards and regulatory policy decisions. The study's findings are intended to support public health efforts to reduce tobacco-related disease and death by clarifying whether cooling agent alternatives undermine the public health benefits anticipated from menthol prohibition policies.