Little filtered cigar, cigarillo, and premium cigar smoking among adults--United States, 2012-2013

Abstract

The burden of death and disease from tobacco use in the United States has been caused overwhelmingly by cigarettes and other smoked tobacco products. In the United States, cigarette consumption declined during 2000-2011; however, consumption of cigars more than doubled during the same period. The cigar market includes diverse product types manufactured with a variety of shapes and sizes, filters, tips, flavors, and prices. Although national estimates of cigar consumption have been reported previously, data characterizing who smokes different cigar types are limited. A recent analysis from the 2012-2013 National Adult Tobacco Survey (NATS) found that more than one in 20 U.S. adults smoke cigars "every day," "someday," or "rarely". This report expands upon those findings, using data from the 2012-2013 NATS to further characterize cigar smokers by the usual type of cigar smoked using the following categories: little filtered cigars (LFCs), cigarillos/other mass market cigars (cigarillos/MMCs), and premium cigars. The findings indicate that among U.S. adults who smoke cigars, 61.8% usually smoke cigarillos/MMCs, 19.9% usually smoke premium cigars, and the remainder, 18.4%, usually smoke LFCs. These data can help to inform public health interventions to reduce the burden of adverse health effects caused by cigar smoking in the United States, including regulation.

FIGURE 1

Percentage of current cigar smokers aged ≥18 years who smoke cigars every day, some days, or rarely, by type of cigar usually smoked — National Adult Tobacco Survey, United States, 2012–2013 Abbreviation: MMC = mass market cigar. * To be eligible to be assigned a usual cigar type, respondents had to currently smoke cigars “every day,” “some days,” or “rarely”; in addition, adults aged ≥30 years had to report smoking ≥50 cigars in their lifetime, whereas adults aged 18–29 years did not. ^† Respondent reported their usual cigar had a spongy filter, or was from a manufacturer that primarily or exclusively manufactures little filtered cigars. ^§ Respondent reported their usual cigar did not have a filter and the usual brand was not premium. ^¶ Respondent reported their usual cigar did not have a filter or tip and the name of their usual brand was a brand name of a hand-rolled cigar or a cigar described by the manufacturer or merchant as containing high-grade tobaccos in the filler, binder, or wrapper.

FIGURE 2

Percentage of current cigar smokers aged ≥18 years who currently smoke cigarettes, formerly smoked cigarettes, or never smoked cigarettes, by type of cigar usually smoked — National Adult Tobacco Survey, United States, 2012–2013 Abbreviation: MMC = mass market cigar. *To be eligible to be assigned a usual cigar type, respondents had to currently smoke cigars “every day,” “some days,” or “rarely”; in addition, adults aged ≥30 years had to report smoking ≥50 cigars in their lifetime, whereas adults aged 18–29 years did not. ^†Respondent reported their usual cigar had a spongy filter, or was from a manufacturer that primarily or exclusively manufactures little filtered cigars. ^§Respondent reported their usual cigar did not have a filter and the usual brand was not premium. ^¶Respondent reported their usual cigar did not have a filter or tip and the name of their usual brand was a brand name of a hand-rolled cigar or a cigar described by the manufacturer or merchant as containing high-grade tobaccos in the filler, binder, or wrapper.