It is well known that the most heavily advertised brands tend to attract the younger smoker market. In the USA the most heavily advertised brands are Marlboro, Newport, and Camel. 1 2 Few analyses have delved into the specific varieties popular among youth. Do ''Lights'' or ''Full Flavors'' predominate? To answer this question, data on the cigarette brand preferences of smokers in the 2002 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health were analysed. Using the on-line analysis feature of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive, 3 cigarette brand used in the last 30 days was cross tabulated with the type of cigarette (Full Flavor, Light, Ultra Light, self reported) used in the past 30 days. Separate analyses were conducted on three age groups: 12-17 years (n = 2290), 18-25 years (n = 7321), and 26+ years (n = 5238). Analyses accounted for survey design characteristics and percentages were weighted to the US population. Figure 1 shows the top five varieties in each age group. Marlboro Lights were the most popular brand style in all three age categories. The popularity of Marlboro Full Flavor (FF) decreased with age, as did Newport FF. Marlboro Ultra-Light was not as popular with the youngest respondents. Overall, Marlboro brands held 50.6% of the youngest smokers, 53.5% of the young adult smokers, but only 37.8% of the older adult smokers. The relationship of Newport use with age was more striking-24.6% for 12-17 year olds, 17.8% of 18-25 year olds, and 7.0% of 26+ year olds smoked Newports. Camel Lights and Newport Lights varieties were much more popular among youths than among older smokers. Newport was the dominant brand among African American smokers under age 26. Among 12-17 year olds, 54.1% smoked Newport FF and 13.5% smoke Newport Lights, while among 18-25 year olds, 70.6% smoke Newport FF and 9.1% smoke Newport Lights. By contrast, only 36.7% of African Americans over age 26 smoked Newport FF and 4.2% smoked Newport Lights. Doral Lights and Basic FF and Lights together accounted for 9% of the adult market, yet were practically non-existent in the youth market (,1%). It appears that Marlboro Light is the most popular brand style among younger smokers in the USA. Marlboro Full Flavor and Newport Full Flavor are quite popular, with Camel less so. Five of the top nine varieties in all three age categories are Lights or Ultra-Lights, though the specific varieties varied by age. Discounted brands (Doral and Basic) account for a sizable percentage of the adult market but a miniscule percentage of the youth market. The youth market in the USA appears dominated by varieties of the major advertised brands; other products make up a more modest percentage of the market. Conversely, the adult market is much more diffuse, with the major varieties commanding smaller overall percentages of the market. Light varieties appear to be popular choices for younger smokers. Similar investigations in other countries could shed further light on younger smokers' brand choices, particularly in those countries that have banned de...
BACKGROUND Metals of primary health concern can accumulate in the tobacco plant and contribute to smokers’ exposures to carcinogens, a significant cause of the millions of smoking-related deaths in China each year. These exposures are due to the smoker’s addiction to nicotine. OBJECTIVE This study sought to explore toxic heavy metal and nicotine concentrations in the tobacco of Chinese cigarette brands purchased in 2009 and 2012, as well as its regional variation. METHODS Cigarette packs for this study were purchased from seven Chinese cities in 2009 and 2012, and 91 pairs of cigarettes were matched based on UPC for comparison. Ten cigarette sticks were randomly selected from each pack and tested using polarized energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (XRF) for arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) concentrations. Nicotine analysis was conducted following Coresta Recommended Method N°62. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS, encompassing descriptive statistics, correlations and generalized estimating equations to observe changes in brand varieties over time. FINDINGS On average, from 2009 to 2012 As, Cd, Cr, and Pb concentrations have decreased in Chinese tobacco. Of the seven cities where the cigarette brands were purchased, only four cities showed significant differences of the selected metals from 2009 to 2012. However, there was no significant change in tobacco nicotine content from 2009 to 2012. CONCLUSION Tobacco in Chinese cigarettes purchased in seven geographically disbursed cities contains consistently high levels of metals, including carcinogens like Cd. One source may be the improper use of fertilizers. These numbers should be monitored more carefully and regulated by health officials.
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