Table 2 provides a more detailed description of the characteristics of selected subgroups based on the selected combination of smoking status at Time 1 and Time 2. This table sellekchem allows direct comparison of the characteristics of initially daily smokers who switched to former smokers or to occasional smokers at the middle interview. It also allows a direct comparison of two groups of occasional smokers at Time 2, namely those who were recent switchers from daily to occasional smoker and those who were continuing occasional smokers over Time 1 and Time 2. All three of these groups were similar in terms of demographic characteristics and there were no significant differences in demographic characteristic between occasional smokers who had recently reduced intake or were continuing occasional smokers (all pairwise contrast p values > .

10). By definition, these groups differed at Time 1 on consumption-based measures of smoking and dependence. However, smokers who switched from daily to occasional were significantly different, at Time 1, from continuing occasional smokers on subjective measures of dependence and past quitting behaviors. Continuing occasional smokers described themselves as less addicted, and were more confident they could quit completely if they wished, but were also less likely to have expressed an intention to quit altogether, or have tried to quit, or used supports for cessation (p < .001 for each of these contrasts).

Overall, daily smokers at Time 1 who either switched to occasional smokers or became former smokers at Time 2 were similar at Time 1 in terms of consumption-based and subjective measures of dependence and past quit attempts, and differed in the same ways when contrasted with continuing occasional smokers. Table 2. Demographic Characteristics, Smoking Behavior, and History (at Time 1 Interview) for Selected Groups of Observationsa Defined by Combined Time 1 and Time 2 Smoking Statusb Table 3 presents the characteristics of smokers who switched from daily to occasional smokers and further divides this group by subsequent smoking status at Time 3. These combinations of smoking status over Time 1 through Time 3 suggest the following behaviors: staged cessation happening more than 1 year (daily smoking, to occasional smoking, to abstinence); reduced smoking (daily to occasional and then remaining an occasional smoker); and rebounding (from daily to occasional, then back to daily smoking).

Examination of Time 1 characteristics of these three groups revealed AV-951 no statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics, prior quit attempts or supports, confidence, or initial intention to quit (all p values on 2df > .10). However, those who followed the pattern of rebounding back to daily smoking were roughly twice as likely as the other groups to have described themselves as very addicted at Time 1 (p value, 2df = .002).