SMOKER'S MISPERCEPTIONS OF LIGHT AND ULTRA-LIGHT CIGARETTES MAY KEEP THEM SMOKING

Lynn T. Kozlowski, Marvin E. Goldberg, Berwood A. Yost, Erica L. White, Christine T. Sweeney, and Janine L. Pillitteri, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 15, NO.1, 1998.

Introduction: This study examined smokers' understandinng of the relative tar deliveries of Ultra-light, Light, and Regular cigarettes, reasons for smoking Ultra-Light/Light cigarettes, and the likelihoodof both quitting and switching to regualr 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 smaple 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 persent of the Light and 26% of the Ultra-light smokers in the national sample, and 27% of Light and 26 % of Ultra-light smokers in teh 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 teh risks of smoking and/or as a step toward quitting. However, these smokers are unaware that one Ultra-light /Light cigarette can give them teh same amount of tar and nicotine as one Regular cigarette. Many of the Ultra-light /Light somkers sampled in this study stated that they would be likely to quit if they knwe this information. Mistaken beliefs about low-yield brands are reducing intensions to quit smoking.