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Hilary A. Tindle, MD, MPH, Nancy A. Rigotti, MD, Roger B. Davis, ScD, Elizabeth M. Barbeau, ScD, MPH, Ichiro Kawachi, MD, PhD and Saul Shiffman, PhD

Hilary Tindle is with the University of Pittsburgh and the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass. At the time the research was conducted, H. Tindle was also with the Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies (Osher Institute) at Harvard Medical School and the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. Nancy Rigotti is with Harvard Medical School and the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. She also is with the Tobacco Research and Treatment Center in the Division of General Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. Roger Davis is with the Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies (Osher Institute) at Harvard Medical School, the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass. Elizabeth Barbeau is with the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. Ichiro Kawachi is with the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. Saul Shiffman is with the University of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Hilary A. Tindle, MD, MPH, University of Pittsburgh, Parkvale Building, 200 Meyran Avenue, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213 (e-mail: tindleha{at}upmc.edu).

Objectives. A large proportion of smokers erroneously believe that low-nicotine/low-tar cigarettes, also called "light cigarettes" or "lights," reduce health risks and are a rational alternative to smoking cessation. However, the availability of light cigarettes may deter smoking cessation.

Methods. We analyzed the 32374 responses to the US 2000 National Health Interview Survey. Current and former smokers ("ever-smokers") were asked if they had ever used a lower tar and nicotine cigarette to reduce health risks. Multivariable logistic regression identified determinants of lights use and smoking cessation. Results were weighted to reflect the national population.

Results. Of 12285 ever-smokers, 37% (N=4414) reported having used light cigarettes to reduce health risks. Current abstinence was less often reported by ever-smokers who had previously used light cigarettes than by ever-smokers who had never used lights (37% vs 53%, P<.01). Adjusted odds of cessation among ever-smokers who had used light cigarettes relative to those who had never used lights were reduced by 54% (adjusted odds ratio=0.46, 95% confidence interval=0.41, 0.51).

Conclusions. Use of light cigarettes was common and was associated with lower odds of current smoking cessation, validating the concern that smokers may use lights as an alternative to cessation.

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