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Menthol Cigarette Ban - What You Need to Know
Charlie·10 May 2021·Updated 13 June 2026·5 min read·Vape News
Menthol cigarettes were banned in the UK in 2020, but the cool, fresh hit they delivered did not have to disappear. Menthol vaping is the legal, far cheaper and much less harmful way to keep it.
On 20 May 2020, the UK banned the sale of menthol cigarettes and menthol rolling tobacco as part of the Tobacco Products Directive. The aim was to make smoking less appealing, especially to young people, after research from Cancer Research UK and others showed how the minty, throat-soothing flavour helped people start smoking and made it harder to quit.
The ban removed menthol and capsule cigarettes from shop shelves overnight, leaving millions of menthol smokers looking for an alternative. The good news: menthol e-liquids deliver that exact cooling, fresh sensation in a form that is around 95% less harmful than smoking and a fraction of the price.
Why Were Menthol Cigarettes Banned?
Menthol does two things that worried health officials. It cools and numbs the throat, which masks the harshness of tobacco smoke and makes it easier for new smokers to inhale, and it adds a moreish, refreshing flavour that encourages people to keep going. Banning it was designed to remove that on-ramp into smoking and nudge existing menthol smokers towards quitting.
For anyone who switched to vaping instead, the result is the best of both worlds: you keep the cool menthol hit you enjoyed, but without the tar, carbon monoxide and thousands of other chemicals in cigarette smoke. The NHS actively recommends vaping as a stop-smoking tool, and menthol is one of the most popular flavours among ex-smokers.
Bar Juice 5000
#1. Fresh Mint Nic Salt E-Liquid by Bar Juice 5000
4.8
★★★★★
4.8/5“Our best-selling menthol by a distance. A clean, crisp fresh mint that is smooth rather than ice-cold, this is the closest thing to a classic menthol cigarette in a 10ml nic salt, and at £2.99 the value is unbeatable.”
£2.99Mix & Match 4 for £10
Dojoliq
#2. Cool Menthol Nic Salt E-Liquid by Dojoliq
4.7
★★★★★
4.7/5“A pure, deep-freeze cooling menthol that mirrors the Dojo Blast bar flavour. If you want that proper icy blast on every puff, this is the one. A 50/50 nic salt at £2.99.”
£2.99Mix & Match 4 for £10
Pod Salt
#3. Ice Menthol Nic Salt E-Liquid by Pod Salt
4.6
★★★★★
4.6/5“A smooth, refined icy menthol from one of the UK's most trusted nic salt makers. Clean, consistent and satisfying, it is ideal for ex-menthol smokers who want a bit of quality.”
£3.99Mix & Match 4 for £10
Bar Juice 5000
#4. Fresh Menthol Mojito Nic Salt E-Liquid by Bar Juice 5000
4.5
★★★★★
4.5/5“Menthol with a twist: crisp mint lifted by zesty lime and a touch of sweetness, like a cool cocktail. A great pick if straight menthol feels a little plain.”
£2.99Mix & Match 4 for £10
SALT
#5. Glacier Nic Salt E-Liquid by SALT
4.6
★★★★★
4.6/5“A long-standing customer favourite: an intense, frosty menthol that hits like a glacier. It sells out fast, so grab it whenever it is back in stock.”
£3.49Mix & Match 4 for £10
Menthol, Mint or Ice? Picking Your Flavour
Menthol is not one single taste. If you want the classic, cigarette-like cool, go for a straight menthol or ice menthol. If you prefer something smoother and slightly sweeter, a fresh mint or spearmint is gentler on the throat. And if you fancy a twist, fruit-menthol blends like menthol mojito or blackcurrant menthol pair that cooling base with a burst of flavour.
All of them work best in a refillable pod kit with a 10mg or 20mg nic salt, which gives the smooth, satisfying throat hit that recent ex-smokers are looking for. New to nic salts? Our salt nic vs freebase guide explains the difference.
Summary
The menthol cigarette ban closed one door, but it opened a much better one. Menthol vaping gives you the same cool, fresh hit for a fraction of the cost, without the harm of tobacco, and in far more variety than menthol cigarettes ever offered.
Browse the full range of menthol e-liquids, pair one with a beginner-friendly pod kit, and you will not miss your old menthols at all. Still smoking? There has never been a better, or cheaper, time to make the switch.
C
Charlie
A storyteller till the end, Charlie is a true Londoner with style and writing flair. Carrying a journalism degree under his belt with experience writing for a variety of businesses, Charlie makes sure to hold his words to a high standard everywhere he goes. Although not an out and out vaper himself, Charlie's passion lies in helping smokers quit and move into the electronic age. Other than his journalistic work, Charlie can be found on tennis courts or in boxing gyms around the capital.