Cigarette Brand Preference Among Middle and High School Students who are Established Smokers—United States, 2004 and 2006

February 13, 2009 / Vol. 58 / No. 5

MMWR Highlights

• 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.
• The report indicates that cigarette brand preferences were similar among established smokers in middle and high schools.

Middle School Students

• The preference for Marlboro, Newport, and Camel was 78.2%, ranging from 67.7% to 80.5% across racial or ethnic groups and by sex.
• Among middle school students, 43.3% identified Marlboro as the brand they usually smoked, followed by Newport (26.4%), other brands (14.6%), Camel (8.5%), and no usual brand (7.2%).
• The use of Camel was higher among males (12.4%) compared with females (4.1%).
• Non-Hispanic whites were more likely than blacks, Hispanics, and students of multiple races to smoke Marlboro.
• Blacks were more likely than non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics, and students of multiple races to smoke Newport.

High School Students

• Among high school students, the preference for Marlboro, Newport, and Camel was 86.5%, ranging from 79.2% to 90.3% across racial or ethnic groups and by sex.
• Among high school students, 52.3% identified Marlboro as the brand they usually smoked, followed by Newport (21.4%), Camel (12.8%), other brands (10.3%), and no usual brand (3.3%).
• Asian, non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, and multiracial students were more likely than blacks to smoke Marlboro.
• Blacks were more likely than Hispanics, multiracial students, Asians, and non-Hispanic whites to smoke Newport.
• Non-Hispanic whites and multiracial students were more likely than blacks to smoke Camel, and Hispanics were more likely than Asians to smoke other brands.

Background Information

• The Institute of Medicine has 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.
• Mass media campaigns combined with other interventions are one component of comprehensive tobacco-control initiatives that have been found effective in reducing initiation of smoking. Other effective strategies include increasing the unit price of tobacco products and implementing smoke-free indoor air policies and legislation.