A federal advisory panel said on Friday after a year of study that menthol cigarettes caused more harm than nonmenthol cigarettes. (See related article.)

Evidence shows the cooling menthol additive makes it easier for youths to start smoking and harder for African-American smokers, major users of menthol cigarettes, to quit, according to the final report of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee.

“Removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States,” the report concluded.

But the scientific advisers did not recommend any specific policy action, like a ban or phase-out of menthol products. They left the knotty task of what action to take up to the the Food and Drug Administration, which was empowered in a 2009 law to regulate ingredients in tobacco products.

Antismoking advocates believe the panel’s action paves the way toward a ban. But investors seemed to think the panel’s report and lack of policy recommendations actually made it less likely that the F.D.A. will take tough action against menthol.

The tobacco industry and convenience store owners warn that a ban on menthol would just drive those smokers to an underground market.

What do you think about the panel’s decisions? And what should the F.D.A. do later on — tightly restrict the use of menthol additives or ban them altogether?