In California, for instance, 18 percent of smokers said they were social smokers in 1990. By 1998, the segment of social smokers had increased to almost 30 percent. National statistics show a similar growth, even as overall consumption of tobacco is decreasing.

"When we first reported on the size of this group a few years ago, no one believed us. We were all accustomed to thinking of smokers as people who smoked a pack a day or more. Now researchers everywhere are finding rates of 18 percent and higher. We are witnessing an enormous change in smoking behavior," said John Pierce, a cancer prevention specialist at the University of California, San Diego.

Addiction specialists are concerned that the rates of social smoking are on the rise among younger people. Many people start smoking in their late teens and early 20s and view cigarettes as a strictly social and harmless pleasure.

"I hear this all the time," said Dr. Vanessa Tatum, a spokeswoman for the American Lung Association. "When I ask females between the ages of 21 and 30 whether they smoke, I'd say about 75 percent of them say, 'No, not really.' They don't think of themselves as smokers, and some of them are smoking a pack or more every weekend."

Experts are concerned that the growing trend of social smoking will have a serious impact on health. Because social smokers don't think of smoking as a bad habit, they could be setting themselves up for a lifelong habit and addiction to nicotine. In addition, experts said social smokers are ignoring the real health risks of light smoking.

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