With the implementation of tobacco control policies and increased price and taxation of cigarettes both domestically and internationally, the use of Make Your Own (MYO) cigarettes is significant and may be increasing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012; Hanewinkel, Radden, & Rosenkranz, 2008; Kengganpanich, Ganetespib Sigma Termsirikulchai, & Benjakul, 2009; Kraft, Svendsen, & Hauknes, 1998; Oddoux & Melihan-Cheinin, 2001; Young et al., 2012). In the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC-4) of tobacco use, the prevalence of MYO cigarette smoking was reported as follows: United Kingdom (28.4%), Canada (17.1%), Australia (24.2%) (Young et al., 2006), Malaysia (17%), and Thailand (58%) (Young et al., 2008). Recently, a substantial prevalence (24.

2%) of RYO smoking among Canadian youth smokers was reported by Leatherdale and Burkhalter (2012). The U.S. prevalence was reported as 6.7% (Young et al., 2006); however, reports in trade journals (Williams, 2007) and the popular press (Weichselbaum, 2012) suggest that current use may be even greater in the United States. In other countries, MYO smokers were generally lower income, male, younger, and had higher levels of nicotine addiction compared with conventional, Factory Made (FM) cigarette smokers (Young et al., 2006). Most MYO smokers cited reduced cost as a reason for their choice (Nosa et al., 2011) although some believe that MYO cigarettes are safer than conventional cigarettes (Nosa et al., 2011; Young, Wilson, Borland, Edwards, & Weerasekera, 2010) or that MYO cigarettes would help them quit smoking.

Published research has examined MYO users, cigarettes, and smoking topography outside the United States (Darrall & Figgins, 1998; Kaiserman & Rickert, 1992a, 1992b; Laugesen, Epton, Frampton, Glover, & Lea, 2009; Leatherdale & Burkhalter, 2012; Lewis, Truman, Hosking, & Miller, 2012; Li, Grigg, Weerasekera, & Yeh, 2010; Raisamo, 2011; Shahab, West, & McNeill, 2008, 2009). In this report, we examined the production of MYO cigarettes and the characteristics of those that made them in a convenience sample of U.S. urban MYO smokers. This study has theoretical, practical, and policy implications for U.S. tobacco control efforts. The use of MYO cigarettes may have the unintended consequences of sustained tobacco use and unknown health effects. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (U.

S. Congress, 2009) specifically places MYO tobacco among the products subject to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation; to date, there have been no FDA control efforts specifically directed at MYO cigarettes. For example, there are no health warnings (of the type required on FM cigarette packages) on the loose tobacco, papers, tubes, Brefeldin_A or machines used to prepare MYO cigarettes; because the cigarettes are self-made, there is no control over flavoring additives that a user may add.