摘要：Nondaily intermittent smokers (ITS) are common, but their cessation behavior remains elusive. We examined cessation of native-ITS (n = 2040), converted-ITS (n = 1808), and daily smokers (DS; n = 25 344). All ITS were more likely than were DS to make a quit attempt (native-ITS adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.42, 1.80; converted-ITS AOR = 3.33, 95% CI = 2.93, 3.78). Native-ITS (18%) and converted-ITS (27%) were more likely than were DS (13%) to quit smoking (native-ITS AOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.67; converted-ITS AOR = 2.36, 95% CI = 2.01, 2.78), but the low cessation rates of ITS challenge their nonaddicted status. Most studies of smoking behavior focus on daily smokers, 1 and models of smoking and dependence assume daily smoking. 2 , 3 However, up to 33% of US smokers now smoke less than daily, 4 – 6 and this proportion increased 40% from 1996 to 2001. 7 Models of nicotine dependence posit that smokers need to maintain near-constant nicotine levels to avoid withdrawal, 3 which makes the smoking of nondaily intermittent smokers (ITS) puzzling and suggests that ITS should have little trouble quitting smoking. We used population data on US smokers to assess quit attempts, quit success, and use of cessation aids among ITS. Given the heterogeneity of ITS, 8 – 11 we included both native-ITS (ITS who had never smoked daily) and converted-ITS (ITS who had smoked daily in the past), and we compared them to daily smokers (DS).
