Table 1.

Characteristics of ever-smokers who ever switched to a “lighter” cigarette by reason for switching (n = 30 800)^*†‡

Characteristic	Full sample (n = 30 800)	Did not switch‡ (n = 18 791) (%)	Switched for any reason‡ (n = 12 009) (%)	Switched to quit smoking only‡ (n = 821) (%)	Switched for harm reduction only‡ (n = 934) (%)	Switched for flavour only‡ (n = 3180) (%)	Switched to quit smoking and for harm reduction‡ (n = 1236) (%)	Switched to quit smoking and for flavour‡ (n = 900) (%)	Switched for harm reduction and for flavour‡ (n = 1768) (%)	Switched for all three reasons‡ (n = 2174) (%)	Switched for other reason(s)‡ (n = 996) (%)
Age:
15–29	22	29	25	37	16	29	23	35	15	20	29
30–39	21	21	18	26	16	20	17	23	14	17	17
40–49	26	24	26	21	27	24	29	24	29	27	24
50–59	18	15	19	12	25	16	21	12	24	20	18
60+	14	11	13	5	17	12	10	6	18	15	12
Gender:
Male	48	55	50	47	56	49	53	46	49	49	54
Female	52	45	50	53	44	51	47	54	51	51	46
Race:
White	86	82	88	83	92	90	86	86	90	84	88
Other	14	18	12	17	8	10	14	14	10	16	12
Education:
≤ 12 years	18	21	17	19	13	15	16	17	16	18	22
High school	40	40	38	39	36	39	32	40	37	39	43
>High school	41	38	45	42	51	46	51	43	47	44	36
Time to first cigarette:
≤30 min	56	53	57	54	60	58	58	46	62	54	62
>30 min	44	47	43	46	40	42	42	54	38	46	38
Cigarettes smoked per day:
<10	23	27	19	23	15	18	22	25	15	23	17
10–19	30	29	31	34	29	30	31	38	28	31	28
20–29	35	33	36	33	38	38	35	29	40	35	38
≥30	12	11	14	10	19	14	12	8	17	11	17
Type of cigarette most often smoked: §	56	43	75	55	69	85	56	79	86	80	58
Light/ultralight Regular	44	57	25	45	31	15	44	21	14	20	42

^*30 800 is the total sample; 18 791 is the number of people who did not switch to a “lighter” cigarette; 12 009 is the number of people who switched for any reason to a “lighter” cigarette and serves as the denominator for columns 4–11 (ie, reasons for switching among those who switched);

^†percentages shown are by column: columns 4–11 (reasons for switching) are subcategories of column 3 (switching for any reason);

^‡p values <0.001 for differences between switchers (for any reason) (vs non-switchers) and among reasons for switching for all covariates;

^§type of cigarette most often smoked was asked of current smokers and recently quit smokers (abstinent for ≥90 days at the time of survey): recently quit smokers indicated the type of cigarette they most often smoked in the year prior to quitting smoking.