Why Newport 100s? Multilevel Determinants of Cigarette Preferences Among Black Women Smokers

Abstract

Abstract This study draws on 47 in-depth interviews with Black women who smoke, conducted in Chicago’s South Side and the greater Winston-Salem area of North Carolina, to examine how multiple factors intersect to shape cigarette preferences. Qualitative analysis found that most participants smoked menthol cigarettes, often favoring specific brands such as Newport. A notable preference emerged for “long” cigarettes (e.g., Newport 100s) over “short” ones, with participants associating longer cigarettes with greater value and longer-lasting use. The findings suggest that cigarette choices are shaped by a constellation of influences, including targeted marketing, prevailing social norms, product availability and visibility, and financial constraints. These decisions, operating across multiple levels, including individual, interpersonal, and structural contexts, may be linked to smoking behaviors such as frequency, intensity, and persistence, with important implications for addressing tobacco-related health disparities and developing more equitable tobacco control interventions.