Sociodemographic characteristics and tobacco use patterns associated with using premium, value and deep-discount cigarettes among US adults who smoke: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2021

Introduction

Although smoking declined significantly in the US from 2011 to 2022, prevalence remained stagnant for those aged 65 and older, and, within this group, it increased among people in the lowest income group.1 In recent years, against a backdrop of declining sales, sales of cigarettes in the lowest price tier (ie, ‘deep-discount’) have grown.2 3 Increasing cigarette prices is a proven strategy to reduce cigarette smoking; however, cheap cigarettes may undermine this, as purchasing cheaper cigarette brands is one of several price minimising strategies consumers use when cigarette prices increase.4–6 Yet, little is known about who is using deep-discount cigarettes and the potential impact of deep-discount cigarettes on tobacco use behaviour. This study examines demographic characteristics and smoking patterns associated with using deep-discount cigarettes among US adults in 2021.

Methods

This cross-sectional analysis of data from the National…

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