US Adult Cigar Smoking Patterns, Purchasing Behaviors, and Reasons for Use According to Cigar Type: Findings From the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, 2013–2014

Abstract

Despite the diversity of the cigar market place, historically many research studies and tobacco surveillance systems have treated cigars as a single product type. This study describes similarities and differences in the user characteristics, tobacco use patterns, and purchasing behaviors of premium, nonpremium, cigarillo, and filtered cigar smokers. To enhance tobacco regulatory science, sufficient descriptions of the cigar type(s) studied and, where appropriate, differentiation of the particular cigar type(s) studied should be undertaken to improve the interpretation of study findings, understanding of cigar use patterns and related behaviors and future approaches to reducing cigar-attributable morbidity and mortality.

Biomarkers of Exposure among U.S. Adult Cigar Smokers: Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 1 (2013–2014)

“…For example, TNE-2 concentrations were significantly lower in every day exclusive traditional cigar and exclusive cigarillo smokers compared with every day exclusive filtered cigar smokers. Our findings are consistent with the different patterns of use across cigar types, recently described on the basis of PATH Study Wave 1 data (6). Our findings may also be explained by differences in nicotine delivery.…”

“…The current analysis is an assessment of exposure biomarker concentrations by current every day and some day exclusive cigar, exclusive cigarette, and dual cigar and cigarette use among adult participants aged 18 years and older who participated in Wave 1 of the PATH Study in 2013-2014. Detailed descriptions of how cigar use was ascertained have been presented previously (6). In brief, to distinguish the cigar types (traditional cigars, cigarillos, and filtered cigars), the PATH Study questionnaire first displays the images of traditional cigars with accompanying text describing the physical characteristics and listing examples of popular brands.…”

“…The cigar types differ physically: traditional large cigars tend to be longer in length (e.g., 110-150 mm) and weigh more (e.g., 5-17 g); cigarillos tend to be somewhat shorter in length (e.g., 70-120 mm) and weigh somewhat less (e.g., 1.3-2.5 g); and filtered cigars tend to resemble cigarettes in length (e.g., 70-100 mm), weight (e.g., 0.9-1.3 g), and filter tip (5). Differences in use patterns across different types of established cigar smokers (currently use the product every day or some days, and ever used fairly regularly) were observed using Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 1 data from adult participants (6). For example, traditional cigar smokers were less likely to be every day smokers of the product compared with filtered cigar smokers.…”

Has FDA abandoned its efforts to make fake-cigar cigarettes comply with federal tobacco control laws that apply to cigarettes but not cigars?

“…These data build on the previously described evidence that, in observational studies, some individuals who self-identify as smokers identify filtered ‘little cigar’ brands as their regular cigarette brand, and filtered ‘little cigar’ smokers do not identify as cigar smokers 29. Similarly, in a recent population-based survey, 52% of those who smoked filtered ‘little cigars’ indicated that smoking them was like smoking a conventional cigarette 48. In their responses to FDA’s warning letters, the manufacturers did not mention or rebut any of this evidence that their ‘little cigars’ were purchased and used by consumers as cigarettes.…”

Little filtered cigars: US sales, flavours, package sizes and prices

“…Dual use of cigarettes and cigars is especially prevalent among LFC users: 66.0% of LFC smokers reported they also smoked cigarettes 11. Compared with other cigar smokers, LFC smokers reported higher rates of daily cigar smoking and higher daily consumption 11. This is concerning because previous cigarette smokers are more likely to inhale cigar smoke,12 increasing their risks for adverse health effects 13 14…”