Table 1.

Background characteristics of the current smokers in Taiwan, 2000–2003

	2000		2001		2002		2003
Characteristics	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Total	856		632		521		493
Gender
Male	789	92.2	599	94.8	496	95.0	460	93.3
Female	67	7.8	33	5.2	25	5.0	33	6.7
Age
17–24	46	5.4	35	5.5	41	7.9	63	12.8
25–34	179	20.9	133	21.0	94	18.0	101	20.5
35–44	299	34.9	222	35.1	190	36.5	177	35.9
45–54	199	23.2	149	23.6	122	23.4	99	20.1
55-	133	15.5	93	14.7	74	14.2	53	10.8
Education
College and above	168	19.6	128	20.3	107	20.5	134	27.2
Senior high school	317	37.0	245	38.8	195	37.4	196	39.8
Junior high school	216	25.2	153	24.2	136	26.1	98	19.9
Primary school or lower	155	18.1	106	16.8	83	15.9	65	13.2
Month income
No income	98	11.4	93	14.7	63	12.1	75	15.2
<NT $20,000	146	17.1	94	14.9	94	18.0	84	17.0
NT $ 20,000–39,999	335	39.1	237	37.5	192	36.9	174	35.3
NT $ 40,000–59,999	181	21.1	144	22.8	117	22.5	105	21.3
≥ NT $ 60,000	96	11.2	64	10.1	55	10.6	55	11.2
Smoking degree
Light smokers	445	50.0	319	50.5	281	53.9	296	60.0
Medium smokers	310	36.2	250	39.6	200	38.4	165	33.5
Heavy smokers	101	11.8	63	10.0	40	7.7	32	6.5