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

Sales of deep-discount cigarettes are growing; yet little is known about who is using these products and their potential impact on tobacco use behavior. Using multinomial logistic regression, this cross-sectional analysis of 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data examines associations between sociodemographic characteristics and smoking behaviors and odds of using value and deep-discount cigarettes (versus premium). Use of value and deep-discount cigarettes was significantly more prevalent for older adults and people with lower incomes and significantly less prevalent among non-Hispanic Black individuals. People who received government assistance, smoked daily, smoked more than a pack of cigarettes per day, and who met the criteria for nicotine dependence were significantly more likely to use deep-discount—but not value—brands than premium cigarettes. More research is needed to better understand how deep-discount cigarettes may impact tobacco use behavior (including smoking cessation), particularly among people with low socioeconomic status.