The reported study investigates college students' perceptions of light compared to regular and ultra-light compared to light cigarettes, and whether perceptions vary by smoking status (nonsmoker, former smoker, social smoker, or regular smoker) and gender. A survey of 172 college students found that all four smoking status groups perceived light cigarettes to be milder and have a lighter taste, but to be no safer or healthier than regular cigarettes. This also held true when comparing ultra-light to light cigarettes. Although there were no differences by smoking status for health-related and tar/nicotine perceptions, there were several differences between nonsmokers and the smoker groups on non-health-related perceptions. The study concludes that the wide-spread assumption that lights and ultra-lights are perceived as safer is not supported by this research, regardless of smoking status. Therefore, bans on the use of the term "light" in marketing communications and devising anti-smoking messages to educate this group about the dangers of lights and ultra-lights are likely to be ineffective. (Contains 3 tables.)