UCSD researchers find that a large number of people who say they use cigarettes, don't consider themselves to be smokers

While smoking among California adults has dramatically declined in recent decades, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report there is a surprisingly large number of people who say they use cigarettes, but don’t consider themselves to be “smokers.” Wael K. Al-Delaimy, MD, PhD, professor and chief of the Division of Global Health in the UC San Diego Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, and colleagues estimate that, in 2011, almost 396,000 Californians smoked on a measurable basis, but rejected the characterization of “smoker.” Read more here.

Study mentioned: Leas EC, et al. Smokers who report smoking but do not consider themselves smokers: a phenomenon in need of further attention. Tob Control. 2014 Feb 5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24500273