Descriptions for the 3 broad categories and 11 specific classifications of European cigarette consumption trajectories
| Classification | Description |
| Generally decreasing consumption trends | |
| Continual decline | Characterised by consistent decline over the time period; lacks a well-defined period of plateau or single accelerated period of decrease |
| Continual decline with interruption | Characterised by a steady decrease over the time period interrupted by at least one well-defined period of plateau or increase |
| Decline to stable | Characterised by a period of decline followed by a protracted plateau period |
| Stable to continual decline | Characterised by a protracted plateau period followed by a well-defined period of continual decrease |
| Stable with single decline | Characterised by a protracted plateau period interrupted by an acute period of decrease |
| Unstable, stable or reversing consumption trends | |
| Inverted U shape | Characterised by a well-defined period of increase, followed either by (a) a well-defined period of decrease, or (b) a short plateau period, and then a well-defined period of decrease |
| Sine wave or continual instability | Characterised by alternating but clearly defined periods of increase and decrease, and/or extended periods of rapid increases and decreases |
| Stable | Characterised by a protracted plateau period; lacks a well-defined period of increase or decrease |
| Generally increasing consumption trends | |
| Increase to stable | Characterised by a period of increase followed by a protracted plateau period |
| Stable with single increase | Characterised by a protracted plateau period interrupted by an acute period of increase |
| Stable to continual increase | Characterised by a protracted plateau period followed by a well-defined period of continual increase |