Tobacco Brand Preferences

• Ninety-eight percent of all cigarettes sold in the United States are filtered.¹
   
• Cigarette brands that yield approximately 1–6 mg of tar by machine testing conducted by the Federal Trade Commission are generally called "ultra-light." Those with approximately 6–15 mg of tar are called "light," and brands yielding more than 15 mg of tar are called "regular" or "full flavor."² Of all cigarettes sold in the United States, 89% are either light or ultra-light (i.e., low tar) brands.¹
   
• In 2003, sales data indicate that Marlboro is the most popular brand in the United States, with sales greater than the five leading competitors combined. The market share for Marlboro is 37.5%, followed by Newport (8.0%), Doral (6.3%), Camel (6.1%), Winston (4.6%), and Basic (4.4%).³
   
• National survey data for 2002 revealed that Marlboro is preferred by 50% of cigarette smokers aged 12–17 years, 53% of smokers aged 18–25 years, and 37% of smokers aged 26 years or older.⁴
   
• Twenty-six percent of all cigarettes sold in the United States are mentholated brands.¹
   
• Use of mentholated brands varies widely by race and ethnicity. Among smokers aged 12 years or older, more than 60% of African Americans reported using the mentholated brands of Newport, Salem, or Kool, compared to less than 20% of white or Hispanic smokers.⁴ More than 75% of middle and high school African-American students who smoke reported using mentholated brands.⁵
  
   

• The two leading brands preferred by cigar smokers aged 12 years or older are Black & Mild (23%) and Swisher Sweets (15%).⁴ As with cigarettes, use varies by race/ethnicity: Swisher Sweets is the most preferred brand for white cigar smokers (18%), but Black & Mild is the most preferred brand for African-American (62%) and Hispanic (18%) cigar smokers.⁴
   
• The two leading brands preferred by smokeless tobacco users aged 12 years or older are Skoal (29%) and Copenhagen (24%).⁴
  
   

References

1	Federal Trade Commission. Cigarette Report for 2001. ( PDF - 446K) Washington, DC: Federal Trade Commission; 2003. Accessed: February 2004.
2	National Cancer Institute. Risks Associated with Smoking Cigarettes with Low Machine-Measured Yields of Tar and Nicotine. Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph 13. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute; 2001. NIH Pub. No. 02-5974. Accessed: February 2004.
3	Maxwell JC. The Maxwell Report: First Quarter 2003 Sales Estimates for the Cigarette Industry. Richmond, VA: John C. Maxwell, Jr.; 2003.
4	Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health: 2002 Detailed Tables, Tobacco Brands.  Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies; 2003. Accessed: February 2004.
5	Farrelly MC, My-Charllins V, Lindsey D, Thomas KY, Messeri P. Cigarette Smoking Among Youth: Results from the 2000 National Youth Tobacco Survey.* Washington, DC: American Legacy Foundation; 2001. Legacy First Look Report 7. Accessed: February 2004.

Note: The next update of this fact sheet is scheduled for February 2005. More recent information may be available at the CDC'S Office on Smoking and Health Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco.

Office on Smoking and Health
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Media Inquiries: Contact the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health press line at 770-488-5493.

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This page last reviewed July 29, 2004

United States Department of Health and Human Services
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Office on Smoking and Health