In 2005, Marlboro was the brand used most often by past month cigarette smokers, followed by Newport, Camel, Basic, and Doral
In 2005, 86.0 percent of smokers aged 12 to 17 and 89.2 percent of smokers aged 18 to 25 smoked one of the five most used brands for their respective age groups, whereas smokers aged 26 or older reported somewhat more diversity in cigarette brand selection
White and Hispanic smokers were most likely to use Marlboro, while black smokers were most likely to use Newport
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks persons aged 12 or older to report whether they smoked part or all of a cigarette in the past 30 days. Respondents who reported smoking part or all of a cigarette in the past 30 days were asked to report which cigarette brand they smoked most often during that time.1
This issue presents data on the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the past month among the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older, as well as information on cigarette brand preferences. Data are presented by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and geographic region.2 Analysis was conducted to determine if there were statistically significant differences in brand preferences between 2002 and 2005. Since few differences were found, all findings in this report are based on 2005 NSDUH data.3
Cigarette Prevalence
According to the 2005 NSDUH, 24.9 percent of persons aged 12 or older (60.5 million persons) smoked part or all of a cigarette during the past month. In the past month, 10.8 percent of youths aged 12 to 17, 39.0 percent of young adults aged 18 to 25, and 24.3 percent of adults 26 or older smoked cigarettes, as did about one quarter of males (27.4 percent) and females (22.5 percent). Among whites, 26.0 percent were past month cigarette smokers, as were 24.5 percent of blacks and 22.1 percent of Hispanics. Cigarette smoking in the past month was reported by 28.1 percent of persons aged 12 or older who were living in the Midwest, 25.6 percent of those living in the South, 24.5 percent of those living in the Northeast, and 21.0 percent of those living in the West.
Cigarette Brands Used Most Often
In 2005, Marlboro was the brand used most often by past month cigarette smokers, followed by Newport, Camel, Basic, and Doral (Figure 1). The remainder of the 10 brands used most often included Kool, Winston, Parliament, Salem, and USA Gold.
Figure 1. Percentages of Past Month Cigarette Smokers Aged 12 or Older Reporting Cigarette Brands Used Most Often During the Past Month: 2005
Figure 1 Table. Percentages of Past Month Cigarette Smokers Aged 12 or Older Reporting Cigarette Brands Used Most Often During the Past Month: 2005
Cigarette Brands
Percentage
Marlboro
42.4
Newport
11.3
Camel
7.5
Basic
4.2
Doral
3.1
Kool
2.9
Winston
2.9
Parliament
2.0
Salem
1.9
USA Gold
1.9
Source: SAMHSA, 2005 NSDUH.
Demographic Differences in Cigarette Brand Use
Research has shown that cigarette brand use varies by age, gender, and race/ethnicity.4-6 Among past month smokers in 2005, Marlboro was the brand used most often in the past month by youths aged 12 to 17 (48.0 percent), young adults aged 18 to 25 (50.8 percent), and older adults aged 26 or older (39.8 percent) (Figure 2). Adults aged 26 or older reported a somewhat greater diversity of brand preference compared with youths and young adults. The five brands used most often by youths and young adults accounted for 86.0 percent of youths and 89.2 percent of young adults who smoked cigarettes in the past month. Nevertheless, the five brands used most among smokers aged 26 or older still accounted for 63.2 percent of smokers in this age group.
Figure 2. Percentages of Past Month Cigarette Smokers Aged 12 or Older Reporting Cigarette Brands Used Most Often During the Past Month, by Age Group: 2005
Figure 2 Table. Percentages of Past Month Cigarette Smokers Aged 12 or Older Reporting Cigarette Brands Used Most Often During the Past Month, by Age Group: 2005
Cigarette Brands
Percentage
Aged 12 to 17
Marlboro
48.0
Newport
23.2
Camel
10.1
Kool
2.7
Parliament
2.0
Aged 18 to 25
Marlboro
50.8
Newport
17.8
Camel
13.8
Parliament
4.5
Kool
2.3
Aged 26 or Older
Marlboro
39.8
Newport
8.7
Camel
5.6
Basic
5.2
Doral
3.9
Source: SAMHSA, 2005 NSDUH.
Among whites who smoked cigarettes in the past month, Marlboro was the brand used most often in the past month, followed by Camel (Figure 3). Marlboro was also the brand used most often by Hispanics, followed by Newport. Among blacks, Newport was the brand used most often, followed by Kool, both of which are menthol cigarettes.
Figure 3. Percentages of Past Month Cigarette Smokers Aged 12 or Older Reporting Cigarette Brands Used Most Often During the Past Month, by Race/Ethnicity*: 2005
Figure 3 Table. Percentages of Past Month Cigarette Smokers Aged 12 or Older Reporting Cigarette Brands Used Most Often During the Past Month, by Race/Ethnicity*: 2005
Cigarette Brands
Percentage
White
Marlboro
45.0
Camel
8.9
Newport
5.1
Basic
5.0
Doral
3.3
Winston
3.3
Black
Newport
49.5
Kool
11.4
Marlboro
7.1
Salem
5.8
Doral
3.2
Hispanic
Marlboro
57.2
Newport
13.5
Camel
5.9
Virginia Slims
2.5
Benson & Hedges
2.3
Source: SAMHSA, 2005 NSDUH.
Among persons aged 12 or older who smoked cigarettes in the past month, males (44.6 percent) and females (40.0 percent) were more likely to smoke Marlboro than any other brand. Newport was the second-most used brand among males and females (10.8 and 11.8 percent, respectively), and Camel ranked third (9.7 and 5.0 percent, respectively).
Geographic Differences in Cigarette Brand Use
Marlboro was the cigarette brand used most often by past month cigarette smokers in all four geographic regions (Figure 4). Newport was second in prevalence in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, while Camel was second in the West.
Marlboro was the cigarette brand used most often by past month cigarette smokers in large metropolitan, small metropolitan, and non-metropolitan areas (43.6, 41.6, and 40.5 percent, respectively).7 Newport was the second-most prevalent brand in large metropolitan (14.0 percent) and small metropolitan (10.0 percent) areas, while Camel was the second-most prevalent brand in non-metropolitan areas (7.4 percent).
Figure 4. Percentages of Past Month Cigarette Smokers Aged 12 or Older Reporting Cigarette Brands Used Most Often During the Past Month, by Region: 2005
Figure 4 Table. Percentages of Past Month Cigarette Smokers Aged 12 or Older Reporting Cigarette Brands Used Most Often During the Past Month, by Region: 2005
Cigarette Brands
Percentage
Northeast
Marlboro
37.7
Newport
18.2
Camel
6.0
Parliament
5.6
USA Gold
4.3
Midwest
Marlboro
38.6
Newport
10.7
Camel
8.8
Basic
6.8
Kool
4.1
South
Marlboro
45.1
Newport
12.4
Camel
5.0
Doral
5.0
Basic
3.9
West
Marlboro
47.0
Camel
11.9
Basic
3.4
Newport
3.3
Kool
2.9
Source: SAMHSA, 2005 NSDUH.
End Notes1 Respondents who reported smoking part or all of a cigarette during the 30 days prior to the interview were asked, "During the past 30 days, what brand of cigarettes did you smoke most often?" Respondents were given up to 57 specific brands of cigarettes to choose from and could type in the brand used most often if it was not included on the list. 2 The four U.S. regions consist of the following groups of States: Northeast Region: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont. Midwest Region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin. South Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. West Region: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. 3 A similar report was presented on data from the 2001 survey (see footnote 6). Because of improvements to the survey in 2002, however, the 2002 data constitute a new baseline for tracking trends in substance use and other measures, including cigarette brand preferences. Therefore, estimates on cigarette brand preferences from the 2005 NSDUH should not be compared with the estimates from the 2001 survey. 4 O‘Connor, R. J. (2005). What brands are US smokers under 25 choosing? Tobacco Control14, 213-215. 5 Chen, X., Cruz, T. B., Schuster, D. V., Unger, J. B., & Johnson, C. A. (2002). Receptivity to protobacco media and its impact on cigarette smoking among ethnic minority youth in California. Journal of Health Communication, 7, 95-111. 6 Office of Applied Studies. (2003, July 11). Cigarette brand preferences. The NHSDA Report. [Available at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/facts.cfm] 7 Large metropolitan areas have a population of 1 million or more. Small metropolitan areas have a population of fewer than 1 million. Non-metropolitan areas are outside metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Figure Note* Estimates for American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or Asian respondents are not shown due to low precision.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 2005 data are based on information obtained from 68,308 persons aged 12 or older. The survey collects data by administering questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through face-to-face interviews at their place of residence.
The NSDUH Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, and by RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. (RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.)
Information on NSDUH used in compiling data for this issue is available in the following publication:
Office of Applied Studies. (2006). Results from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 06-4194, NSDUH Series H-30). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Because of improvements and modifications to the 2002 NSDUH, estimates from the 2002 to 2005 surveys should not be compared with estimates from the 2001 or earlier versions of the survey to examine changes over time.
The NSDUH Report (formerly The NHSDA Report) is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available online: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated. For questions about this report, please e-mail: shortreports@samhsa.hhs.gov.
This page was last updated on July 11, 2008.
SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal
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