Learning Objectives: Identify key areas of misinformation among smokers regarding product-specific characteristics.
Abstract:
Problem/Objective: To assess Marlboro Light smokers’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about low tar cigarettes.
Methods: Data were collected with a 25-minute random digit dialed telephone survey conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,046 adult smokers from May—September 2001. The response rate was 77%. To summarize the knowledge smokers possessed on low tar and filter cigarettes, eight questions from the survey were used to create an index reflecting the range of knowledge in this area. A standardized knowledge score was computed for the index by scoring the average percent of correct responses by total responses for each smoker.
Results: Of the total sample, 197 (19%) reported they smoked Marlboro Lights. Sixty-eight percent of Marlboro Light smokers were not aware of ventilation holes located on the filter. Sixty percent thought that the reduction of tar made the cigarette less dangerous to the smoker and 48% reported that high tar cigarettes were at least twice as likely to cause illness compared to ones low in tar. Eighty-seven percent reported that someone would have to smoke two or more light cigarettes to get the same amount of tar as one regular cigarette. Overall, Marlboro Light smokers answered only 36% of the low tar knowledge index questions correctly. Marlboro Light smokers who believed they would stop smoking in the next year were more knowledgeable about low tar and filter cigarettes.
Conclusions: Many Marlboro Light smokers are misinformed about product features of their cigarettes and this knowledge is correlated with their intentions of quitting.
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