People who smoke “lights” less likely to quit

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The misconception that “light”
cigarettes are safer than regular brands may be preventing some
smokers from quitting altogether, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among more than 12,000 current and
former smokers, more than a third said they’d switched to light
cigarettes for “health” reasons. And these smokers were only
half as likely to kick the habit as those who stuck with
regular cigarettes.

The findings, published online by the American Journal of
Public Health, help validate the concern that many smokers may
see light cigarettes as an alternative to quitting, said lead
study author Dr. Hilary A. Tindle of the University of
Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Critics have long charged that cigarettes branded as
“light,” “ultralight,” and “low-tar” dupe the public into
thinking they carry fewer health risks, even though studies
have shown light cigarettes to be as deadly as regulars.

Light cigarettes are designated as such because they
deliver less nicotine and lower levels of toxic chemicals when
the smoke is measured by a machine. In real life, however,
smokers inhale comparable amounts of nicotine and tobacco
chemicals regardless of the brand.

Experts say that people who use lights may, for example,
inhale more deeply to get more nicotine, or simply smoke more
cigarettes.

While it’s clear that light cigarettes are not a healthier
way to smoke, what’s been unclear is whether they may actually
hinder some people from quitting, Tindle told Reuters Health.
The current findings, she said, suggest that is the case — and
also highlight the “still widespread misconception” that light
cigarettes are less of a health threat.

The results are based on a federal health survey of more
than 32,000 U.S. adults conducted in 2000. Of 12,285 current or
former smokers, 37 percent said they had used light cigarettes
specifically to reduce their health risks.

Extrapolated to the entire U.S. population, that figure
represents more than 30 million smokers who may mistakenly
believe they have lower odds of smoking-related ills, according
to Tindle and her colleagues.

“Something needs to be done to correct people’s
misconceptions,” Tindle said.

Public service campaigns could help drive the message home,
she said, and doctors could stress the point that light
cigarettes are no alternative to quitting when they counsel
patients who smoke.

Pack labels could also carry more specific warnings about
the health risks of lights, according to the researchers.

Since being introduced in the U.S. in the late 1960s, light
cigarettes have grown to account for roughly 85 percent of
cigarettes sales.

SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health, August 2006.