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Survey data showed that proportionately more men smoke cigars regularly 

 in the Northeast region of the United States than in other regions, and that 

 they tend to average more cigars daily. Relatively more men living in urt' 

 areas are cigar smokers than those in rural areas, and the average urban an 

 smokes more heavily. 



Trends in Consumption 



Both in terms of the quantity of tobacco used and the amount of consumer 

 expenditures, cigars are the second most important tobacco product consumed in 

 the United States. About kO years ago the per capita consumption of cigars ex- 

 ceeded that of any other tobacco product and represented over a fourth of total 

 tobacco consumption. In recent years, per capita consumption of cigars has 

 been substantially below that of cigarettes and has represented about a tenth 

 of total tobacco consumption and roughly the same fraction of consumer exp c r 

 tures for tobacco at retail. (Cigarettes have risen from 25 percent of total 

 consumption ho years ago to more than 80 percent in recent years.) 



Consumption of cigars in the United States reached a peak in 1920 wh°n 

 &§• billion were consumed, equal to 2*4-8 cigars for each male 18 y c ars and over. 

 (All per capita consumption figures in this section refer to males 18 years a: 

 over in the United States and in overseas forces.) During the rest of the 192( 

 however, consumption ranged between 6.8 billion and 7-^ billion- -or from 171 to 

 206 cigars per capita. Consumption plummeted during the depression 1930 's from 

 6.8 billion in 1929 to U.6 billion in 1933. From a per capita figure of 171 

 in 1929> consumption fell to 10 9 by 1933- Although total consumption subse- 

 quently recovered from the depression low, it did not approach the 1929 level 

 until 30 years later. For most of the 1936-56 period, consumption varied with- 

 in the relatively narrow range of $2 billion to 6 billion cigars. Per capita 

 consumption remained relatively stable in the 1936-^2 period, ranging between 

 120 and 127 cigars annually. After a dip during the war years 19^3-^5. per 

 capita consumption settled on a lower plateau, varying between 108 and ll6 in 

 the decade I9U7-56. 



A change in this pattern began in 1957 and continued in the following 3 

 years. Aggregate consumption rose 3 percent in 1957 over the preceding year, 

 and by 5 percent and 7 percent, respectively, in 1958 and 1959« In i960, the 

 rate of advance slowed to 1 percent, but consumption topped 7 billion, the 

 highest since 1923* However, dividing the i960 total consumption by the ex- 

 panded population of males 18 years and over results in a per capita cor. 

 of 126 cigars — approximately the same as in 19^1 and 19^2, but nearly a 

 less than 30 years ago and only about half as many as ho years a 



The upturn in cigar consumption in recent years resulted from -il 

 factors. Changes in packaging, such as the V use of five-pa 

 enhanced convenience and appeal of cigars to smokers. Firms In ave 



stepped up advertising to attract more smok-rs. Another importanl 

 the gro\rlng popularity of cigarillos and smaller- SJ 

 by the industry indicate that cigarillos and similar-.-- ill • _-v 

 11^- percent of all cigars sold in 1957 j about at in 

 13j percent in 1959 and i960. 



