Smokers are increasingly stigmatized in our society. Pressures to limit public smoking have mounted, and there is evidence of discrimination against smokers in the workplace. This study examined how current smokers, former smokers, and nonsmokers were differentially characterized by students drawn from a suburban high school and college. Students evaluated current smokers far more harshly on a number of personality dimensions, including intelligence, creativity, and independence. Participants evaluations of former smokers fell between those of current smokers and nonsmokers, suggesting that cessation alleviates some, but not all, of the stigma associated with this behavior. Male and female current smokers were viewed similarly by students, and students who were smokers themselves expressed somewhat less critical attitudes of current smokers than students who were nonsmokers. (Contains 45 references and 6 tables.) (Author)