Tobacco companies originally marketed menthols in the 1950s and 1960s, touting medicinal purposes, and later promoted them as a refreshing, healthy alternative to regular cigarettes. Though patently false, these messages still linger. A study of menthol smokers reported in the April 2010 issue of "Nicotine & Tobacco Research" found a significant number of participants believed that menthol cigarettes have medicinal effects, such as soothing a sore throat or loosening a stuffy nose. While menthol does provide a cooling sensation while blunting bitterness, the FDA emphasizes that menthol cigarettes provide no medicinal or health benefits.