Smokers’ misperceptions of light and ultra-light cigarettes may keep them smoking

• Published in: American journal of preventive medicine 1998-07, Vol.15 (1), p.9-16
• Main Authors: Kozlowski, Lynn T, Goldberg, Marvin E, Yost, Berwood A, White, Erica L, Sweeney, Christine T, Pillitteri, Janine L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Advertising as Topic - standards; attitudes; Behavior, Addictive - psychology; Confidence Intervals; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; knowledge; Logistic Models; Male; Massachusetts - epidemiology; nicotine; Nicotine - administration & dosage; Nicotine - adverse effects; Odds Ratio; practice; Product Labeling - standards; Sampling Studies; smoking; Smoking - epidemiology; Smoking - psychology; Smoking Cessation - psychology; Smoking Cessation - statistics & numerical data; Tars - adverse effects; tobacco; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0749-3797; 1873-2607
• DOI: 10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00004-X

Introduction: This study examined smokers’ understanding of the relative tar deliveries of Ultra-light, Light, and Regular cigarettes, reasons for smoking Ultra-light/Light cigarettes, and the likelihood of both quitting smoking and switching to Regular cigarettes if they came to learn that one Ultra-light/Light cigarette gave the same amount of tar as one Regular cigarette. Design: Ten- to fifteen-minute random-digit-dialed, computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) were conducted with both a national probability sample (n = 788) and a state random sample (n = 266) of daily smokers over the age of 18. Results: Less than 10% of smokers in the national sample and only 14% of smokers in the state sample knew that one Light cigarette could give the same amount of tar as one Regular cigarette. Less than 10% of smokers in the state sample knew that one Ultra-light cigarette could give the same amount of tar as one Regular cigarette. Thirty-two percent of the Light and 26% of the Ultra-light smokers in the national sample, and 27% of Light and 25% of Ultra-light smokers in the state sample, said they would be likely to quit smoking if they learned one Light/Ultra-light equaled one Regular. Conclusion: Many Light and Ultra-light smokers are smoking these cigarettes to reduce the risks of smoking and/or as a step toward quitting. However, these smokers are unaware that one Ultra-light/Light cigarette can give them the same amount of tar and nicotine as one Regular cigarette. Many of the Ultra-light/Light smokers sampled in this study stated that they would be likely to quit if they knew this information. Mistaken beliefs about low-yield brands are reducing intentions to quit smoking.