Memo to infrequent puffers: It's still smoking

People who light up only occasionally — and only with friends — may not consider themselves smokers, but tobacco companies do. A new study pored over industry data for clues about helping social smokers quit.

Maria Hynes doesn’t think of herself as a smoker, even though she often lights up with friends. Real smokers are people who can’t make it through a day without their cigarettes, Hynes says.

“I don’t crave nicotine,” explains the 42-year-old nurse from Bridgeton, N.J. “I’ve never been one to have a cigarette while watching TV or reading the paper. When I was pregnant, it was no big deal to quit. So I’ve always checked nonsmoker on medical forms.”

In the 1970s and 80s — as the health risks of smoking became increasingly apparent — the tobacco industry spent millions studying social smokers to figure out what made them tick, Shane says.

What's your smoking status?

msnbc.com contributor