Intermittent smokers: a descriptive analysis of persons who have never smoked daily.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the prevalence of and demographic variables associated with lifetime never-daily smoking in the United States. METHODS: Descriptive demographic data and logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations with never-daily smoking. RESULTS: Lifetime never-daily smokers constituted a significant minority of non-White smokers. There was a strong association between never-daily smoking and college education among young adults, particularly men. Although never-daily smoking was associated with initiation behavior among young smokers, it also represented a persistent pattern for some smokers, particularly non-Whites and Hispanics. CONCLUSIONS: The demographic distribution of never-daily smoking may have implications for developing culturally appropriate smoking prevention and cessation strategies.