The JUUL2 data is not an outlier. Multiple studies, using different methodologies and datasets, have found that menthol-flavored e-cigarettes produce higher switching rates than tobacco-flavored alternatives.

Study 1: The 22,000-Person JUUL Cohort

A large US cohort study published in PMC followed more than 22,000 adult smokers who purchased JUUL products over two years, with up to ten follow-up surveys. The researchers tested their findings under multiple assumptions, including conservative models that treated missing participants as continuing smokers.

Across every method, menthol use was consistently associated with higher rates of complete switching (no cigarette smoking in the previous 30 days). Adults who chose menthol JUUL products were roughly 11 to 15 percent more likely to quit smoking entirely than those who used tobacco-flavored versions. The benefit was strongest among adults who previously smoked non-menthol cigarettes — suggesting menthol's appeal isn't simply about flavor preference, but about offering something different during the transition away from smoking.

Study 2: Vuse Longitudinal Data (LTTS)

Reynolds' Longitudinal Tobacco Use and Transitions Survey tracked 485 adult smokers using Vuse products over twelve months. Vuse menthol products showed a 42.0% complete switching rate at twelve months, with "directionally higher rates of complete switching" and lower cigarettes-per-day among continued smokers compared to tobacco flavors.

Study 3: Randomized Trial in Black and Latinx Smokers

A randomized clinical trial published in PMC (PMC10246471) compared menthol and non-menthol e-cigarettes among Black and Latinx adult menthol cigarette smokers. Both groups achieved high switching rates, with comparable grams of e-liquid consumed. The study found no evidence that menthol e-cigarettes were less effective than non-menthol alternatives for this population — a key finding given that menthol cigarette bans are often justified by concerns about menthol's role in smoking initiation among minority communities.