Skip Navigation LinksSkip Navigation Links
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Safer Healthier People
Blue White
Blue White
bottom curve
CDC Home Search Health Topics A-Z spacer spacer
spacer
Blue curve MMWR spacer
spacer
spacer

Persons using assistive technology might not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, please send e-mail to: mmwrq@cdc.gov. Type 508 Accommodation and the title of the report in the subject line of e-mail.

Cigarette Brand Preference Among Middle and High School Students Who Are Established Smokers --- United States, 2004 and 2006

Studies have suggested a link between exposure to tobacco advertising and cigarette brand preference (1,2). Knowing the brand preferences of young established smokers can provide insight into what influences young smokers to start and continue to smoke. A report of 2005 data indicated that the three most heavily advertised brands, Marlboro, Newport, and Camel, were preferred by 81% of U.S. youths aged 12--17 years (3). To assess the cigarette brand preferences among middle school and high school students who were established smokers, CDC analyzed data from the 2004 and 2006 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that among established student smokers in middle and high school, Marlboro was the preferred brand (43.3% and 52.3%, respectively), followed by Newport (26.4% and 21.4%, respectively). The use of Newport was significantly higher among blacks in middle school (59.7%) and high school (78.6%) compared with other racial/ethnic groups. Information on brand preferences and tobacco marketing strategies that are attractive to students can be used by tobacco control programs and community initiatives in the design of tobacco countermarketing campaigns. These countermarketing campaigns have been shown to be effective as part of a comprehensive tobacco control program to decrease the initiation of tobacco use among youths and young adults (1).

NYTS is a cross-sectional nationally representative sample of students enrolled in grades 6--12; data are collected approximately every 2 years. Students complete a self-administered survey in a classroom setting. The target population consists of public and private school students in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Black, Hispanic, and Asian students* are oversampled to ensure enough participants from those racial/ethnic populations to get reliable estimates. Respondents who self-identify as non-Hispanic and select two or more races are classified as multiracial. In 2004, 267 (93%) of 288 eligible schools participated, and of 31,774 students who were sampled, 27,933 (88%) completed the questionnaire, for an overall response rate of 82%. In 2006, 261 (92%) of the 285 eligible schools participated, and of 30,875 students who were sampled, 27,038 (88%) completed the questionnaire, for an overall response rate of 81%. Data for these 2 years were combined to increase sample size and precision of estimates for selected racial/ethnic populations. Data were weighted to provide national estimates, and statistical software was used for all data analyses to account for the complex sample design. T- tests were performed to determine differences between populations in their brand use. The differences were considered statistically significant at p<0.05.

Respondents were asked how many cigarettes they had smoked in their entire life and whether they had smoked in the past 30 days. Established student smokers were defined as having smoked >25 cigarettes in their entire lives and smoked at least one cigarette during the 30 days preceding the survey. To determine the brand of cigarettes most often used in the past 30 days, respondents were asked "During the past 30 days, what brand of cigarette did you usually smoke?" Responses were "I did not smoke cigarettes during the past 30 days; I do not have a usual brand; American Spirit; Camel; GPC, Basic, or Doral; Kool; Lucky Strike; Marlboro; Newport; Parliament; Virginia Slims; some other brand."

For the study period, the percentage of high school students who were current established smokers (14.3%) was more than four times greater than the percentage of middle school students who were established smokers (3.0%) (Table 1). Among middle school students, whites (3.4%) were more likely to be established smokers than blacks (1.8%). Among high school students, significant differences in the prevalence of established smoking occurred among white (17.5%), Hispanic (10.8%), Asian (6.0%), and black (4.3%) students. No differences between male and female students in prevalence of established smoking were observed at either school level.Among middle school students, 43.3% of established cigarette smokers identified Marlboro as the brand they usually smoked during the preceding 30 days, followed by Newport (26.4%), other brands (14.6%), Camel (8.5%), and no usual brand (7.2%) (Table 2). Whites were more likely than blacks, Hispanics, and students of multiple races to smoke Marlboro. Blacks were more likely than whites, Hispanics, and students of multiple races to smoke Newport.

Among high school students, 52.3% of established cigarette smokers identified Marlboro as the brand they usually smoked during the preceding 30 days, followed by Newport, Camel, other brands, and no usual brand (Table 2). Asian, white, Hispanic, and multiracial students were more likely than blacks to smoke Marlboro. Blacks were more likely than Hispanics, multiracial students, Asians, and whites to smoke Newport. Whites and multiracial students were more likely than blacks to smoke Camel, and Hispanics were more likely than Asians to smoke other brands.

Brand preference differed by sex among middle school students: 49.6% of female smokers used Marlboro cigarettes, compared with 37.6% of male smokers, and 12.4% of male smokers used Camel cigarettes, compared with 4.1% of female smokers. Brand preference also differed by sex among high school students: use of Camel and no usual brand was higher for males (15.6% and 4.1%, respectively) than females (9.9% and 2.5%, respectively). The use of Marlboro was significantly higher for females (54.5%) in high school compared with males (50.2%).

Reported by: M O'Hegarty, PhD, S Thorne, MPH, LL Pederson, PhD, K Asman, MSPH, A Malarcher, PhD, Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC.

Editorial Note:

Knowing the brand preferences of student established smokers can provide insights into what influences student smokers to start and continue to smoke. The three most heavily advertised brands, Marlboro, Newport and Camel, continue to be the preferred brands of cigarettes smoked by established student smokers in middle and high school. Among middle school respondents, the preference for these three brands was 78.2%, ranging from 67.7% to 80.5% across racial/ethnic groups and by sex. Among high school respondents, the preference for these three brands was 86.5%, ranging from 79.2% to 90.3% across racial/ethnic groups and by sex. These findings are similar to those reported in earlier surveys. Analyses of the 2002 NYTS indicated that current smokers in middle school identified Marlboro as the brand they usually smoked, followed by Newport, other brands, no usual brand and Camel. Current smokers in high school identified Marlboro as the brand they usually smoked, followed by Newport, other brands, Camel, and no usual brand (4). The current study also showed that Marlboro was the preferred brand among female (54.5%) and male (50.2%) established smokers. Unpublished data confirm that whites comprised a greater percentage of female established smokers than male established smokers in high school and whites are more likely to prefer Marlboro than are other racial/ethnic groups. Most black established student smokers used Newport, a mentholated brand. The tobacco industry has strategically targeted black communities in its advertisements and promotional efforts for menthol cigarettes (5).

In 2005, the cigarette industry spent $13.1 billion in advertising and promotion, down from $14.1 billion in 2004 (6). Since the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement,† which prohibits tobacco advertising that targets persons aged <18 years, cigarette advertising expenditures in magazines with more than 15% youth readership have decreased (7).§ However, alternative promotional strategies likely are being used to reach youth, including sample distribution, point-of-sale promotion, specialty item distribution, and sponsorship of public entertainment (7). NYTS data indicate that although self-reported youth exposure to protobacco messages declined during 2000--2004 in all media channels except the Internet, most youth in the United States remain exposed to protobacco messages: in 2004, 81% saw images of smoking on television or in movies, 85% saw tobacco advertisements in stores, 50% saw tobacco advertisements in newspapers and magazines, and 33% saw tobacco advertisements on the Internet (8). The National Cancer Institute and the Institute of Medicine have recommended that stronger and more comprehensive regulations are needed to protect youth from exposure to all forms of advertising and promotional activities by tobacco companies (1,9).

The findings in this report are subject to at least three limitations. First, because the NYTS is limited to youth who are attending middle or high school, the findings might not be generalizable to youth who have dropped out of school. During 2005, nationally, 3% of persons aged 16 years, 4% of persons aged 17 years, and 8% of persons aged 18 years had dropped out of school (10). The dropout rate also varies by race/ethnicity. Second, data were collected by self-report and students might underreport or overreport their tobacco use. Finally, because established student smokers were the focus of this report, sample sizes are small among some racial/ethnic groups; estimates for these groups should be interpreted with caution. The effect of these limitations on estimates of brand use is unknown.

Tobacco advertising and promotional activities are important catalysts that can prompt smoking initiation, especially among youth (1). Knowing the cigarette brand preferences of middle and high school students who are established smokers and the advertising and marketing used to promote these brands provides information that can be incorporated into targeted mass media campaigns to counter those messages and reduce smoking initiation. Mass media campaigns, combined with other interventions, are one component of comprehensive tobacco control initiatives that have been effective in reducing smoking initiation; other effective components include increasing the unit price of tobacco products, and implementing smoke-free indoor air policies and legislation.** The Institute for Medicine concluded that funding comprehensive tobacco control programs at levels recommended by CDC is needed to decrease initiation among youth and young adults and increase cessation among youth and adults (9).

References

  1. National Cancer Institute. The role of the media in promoting and reducing tobacco use. Tobacco control monograph No. 19. Bethesda, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute; 2007. Available at http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs/19/index.html.
  2. Wakefield M, Ruel E, Chaloupka F, Slater S, Kaufman N. Association of point-of-purchase tobacco advertising and promotions with choice of usual brand among teenage smokers. J Health Commun 2002;7:113--21.
  3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Cigarette brand preferences in 2005. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2007. Available at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/cigbrands/cigbrands.htm.
  4. CDC. Youth tobacco surveillance---United States, 2001--2002. MMWR 2006;55(No. SS-3).
  5. Sutton C, Robinson R. The marketing of menthol cigarettes in the United States: populations, messages, and channels. Nicotine Tob Res 2004;6:S83--92.
  6. Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission cigarette report for 2004 and 2005. Washington, DC: Federal Trade Commission; 2007. Available at http://www.ftc.gov/reports/tobacco/2007cigarette2004-2005.pdf.
  7. Alpert HR, Koh HK, Connolly GN. After the Master Settlement Agreement: targeting and exposure of youth to magazine tobacco advertising. Health Affairs 2008;27:w503--12.
  8. Duke JC, Appleyard AJ, Pederson LL, Mowery PD, Xiao H, Sargent JD. Reported exposure to pro-tobacco messages in the media: trends among youth in the United States, 2000--2004. Am J Health Promot 2009;23:195--202.
  9. Institute of Medicine. Ending the tobacco problem: a blueprint for the nation. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2007. Available at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11795.html.
  10. Laird J, Kienzl G, DeBell M, Chapman C. Dropout rates in the United States: 2005 compendium report. Washington, DC: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics; 2007. Available at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/2007059.pdf.

* For this report, white, black, and Asian students are non-Hispanic. Hispanic students might be of any race.

† Available at http://www.naag.org/backpages/naag/tobacco/msa.

§ The 15% youth readership criterion was identified in the Master Settlement Agreement between California and R.J. Reynolds.

Youth exposure to tobacco advertising and promotional activities can have a significant effect on the rate of youth initiation of smoking by influencing youth's perceptions of the popularity, image, and social meaning of smoking.

** CDC's Guide to Community Preventive Services reviews the effectiveness of interventions to reduce or prevent tobacco use and is available at http://www.thecommunityguide.org/tobacco/#initiation.

Table 1

TABLE 1. Number of students who completed survey and percentage of established smokers* among middle and high school students, by sex and race/ethnicity — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2004 and 2006 combined
Characteristic
No.
Weighted no.†
%†
(95% CI§)
Middle school¶
Total
26,257
713,644
3.0
(2.6–3.5)
Sex**
Female
13,214
336,160
2.8
(2.3–3.5)
Male
13,043
377,484
3.3
(2.8–3.8)
Race/Ethnicity††
White
10,444
475,581
3.4
(2.8–4.2)
Black
4,715
63,946
1.8
(1.4–2.5)
Hispanic
7,311
100,690
2.9
(2.4–3.4)
Asian
1,233
5,700
0.9
(0.4–1.7)
Multiracial (two or
more races)
411
42,008
4.2
(3.1–5.8)
High school¶
Total
28,044
3,990,913
14.3
(13.1–15.6)
Sex**
Female
14,323
1,949,257
13.7
(12.3–15.3)
Male
13,721
2,041,655
15.0
(13.7–16.3)
Race/Ethnicity††
White
12,103
3,120,200
17.5
(16.0–19.2)
Black
5,229
163,437
4.3
(3.5–5.2)
Hispanic
7,081
380,485
10.8
(9.6–12.0)
Asian
1,324
50,901
6.0
(4.7–7.8)
Multiracial (two or
more races)
1,122
164,477
16.1
(13.5–19.2)
* Students who reported smoking at least 25 cigarettes during their life-times and who had smoked on at least 1 of the 30 days preceding the survey.
† Data were weighted to be nationally representative.
§ Confidence interval.
¶ Unspecified for either middle school or high school by 309 students.
** Unspecified by 178 middle school students and 183 high school students.
†† Unspecified by 2,143 of the middle school students and 1,185 of the high school students. White, black, Asian, and multiracial are non-Hispanic. Hispanic might be of any race.
Return to top.
Table 2

TABLE 2. Brand* of cigarettes usually smoked by established cigarette smokers,† in middle and high school during the 30 days preceding survey, by sex and race/ethnicity — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2004 and 2006 combined
Characteristic
Marlboro
Newport
Camel
Other brand§
No usual brand
%¶
(95% CI**)
%¶
(95% CI)
%¶
(95% CI)
%¶
(95% CI)
%¶
(95% CI)
Middle school
Total
43.3
(38.3–48.4)
26.4
(21.9–31.4)
8.5
(6.3–11.4)
14.6
(11.8–17.9)
7.2
(5.1–10.0)
Sex
Female
49.6
(42.8–56.3)
26.2
(19.9–33.6)
4.1
(2.2–7.4)
13.6
(10.1–18.2)
6.6
(3.9–11.0)
Male
37.6
(31.4–44.2)
26.7
(21.2–33.2)
12.4
(8.7–17.5)
15.3
(11.3–20.4)
7.9
(5.2–11.8)
Race/Ethnicity††
White
50.0
(43.9–56.1)
22.2
(17.6–27.6)
8.3
(5.7–11.9)
12.9
(9.4–17.3)
6.6
(4.3–10.1)
Black§§
11.8
(5.6–23.1)
59.7
(45.9–72.1)
5.1
(1.6–14.9)†
20.0
(11.4–32.5)
3.5
(0.9–12.7)
Hispanic
33.3
(24.7–43.3)
30.0
(21.9–39.6)
9.3
(5.7–14.7)
18.3
(12.5–26.0)
9.0
(4.9–16.0)
Asian¶¶
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Multiracial (two or
more races)§§
30.1
(18.4–45.0)
26.5
(14.3–43.9)
11.1
(5.0–22.8)
18.0
(8.4–34.4)
14.4
(5.6–32.3)
High school
Total
52.3
(48.9–55.6)
21.4
(18.0–25.2)
12.8
(10.3–15.7)
10.3
(9.0–11.8)
3.3
( 2.7–4.1)
Sex
Female
54.5
(50.2–58.7)
23.7
(19.0–29.2)
9.9
(7.5–12.9)
9.4
(7.6–11.6)
2.5
(1.8–3.5)
Male
50.2
(46.5–53.8)
19.0
(16.1–22.4)
15.6
(12.6–19.0)
11.2
(9.4–13.3)
4.1
(3.2–5.3)
Race/Ethnicity††
White
56.2
(52.2–60.1)
17.3
(13.8–21.5)
13.9
(11.0–17.3)
9.6
(8.2–11.3)
3.0
(2.3–3.8)
Black§§
9.6
(5.6–16.0)
78.6
(69.5–85.6)
1.5
(0.5–4.2)
7.8
(4.5–13.2)
2.5
(1.0–5.8)
Hispanic
44.9
(39.0–50.9)
28.7
(23.5–34.5)
7.7
(5.4–11.0)
14.2
(10.9–18.3)
4.5
(3.0–6.6)
Asian¶¶
62.2
(48.9–73.8)
18.9
(10.0–32.8)
9.2
(3.7–20.9)
4.8
(2.0–10.8)
5.0
(1.4–16.8)
Multiracial (two or
more races)§§
42.0
(32.8–51.8)
24.0
(16.9–33.0)
13.2
(8.1–20.8)
13.5
(8.4–20.9)
7.3
(3.5–14.4)
* Brand of cigarette smoked was determined based on respondents choice from 11 options, which included “other brand” or not having a “usual brand.”
† Students who reported smoking at least 25 cigarettes during their lifetimes and who had smoked on at least 1 of the 30 days preceding the survey; N = 713 middle school students and 3,179 high school students.
§ Other brands includes brands of cigarettes that were not a part of the top three used among middle and high school students (i.e., American Spirit, Kool, Lucky Strike, Parliament, Virginia Slims, GPC/Basic/Doral, or some other brand).
¶ Data were weighted to be nationally representative. Percentages might not sum to 100 because of rounding.
** Confidence interval.
†† White, black, Asian, and multiracial are non-Hispanic. Hispanic might be of any race.
§§ Wide variances in CIs reflect small sample sizes.
¶¶ Data not available because denominators include <50 respondents.
Return to top.

Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of the date of publication.

All MMWR HTML versions of articles are electronic conversions from typeset documents. This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users are referred to the electronic PDF version (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr) and/or the original MMWR paper copy for printable versions of official text, figures, and tables. An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371; telephone: (202) 512-1800. Contact GPO for current prices.

**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to mmwrq@cdc.gov.

Date last reviewed: 2/12/2009

HOME  |  ABOUT MMWR  |  MMWR SEARCH  |  DOWNLOADS  |  RSSCONTACT
POLICY  |  DISCLAIMER  |  ACCESSIBILITY

Safer, Healthier People

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd, MailStop E-90, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A

USA.GovDHHS

Department of Health
and Human Services