Smoking compensation, defined as a modification of smoking behaviour, i.e. increase in puffing intensity, has been studied extensively. It has often been stated that compensation, generally occurs following a switch to a lower tar and nicotine yielding cigarette and a simplistic assumption that compensation is driven by the smokers’ wish to regulate their nicotine intake to a constant value. Cigarette smoking constitutes a complex series of behavioural events which occur each time a puff is taken and inhaled. In this poster, using results from several internal studies, systematic changes are shown to occur in the puffing topography and human smoking yields when various physical properties of cigarette are modified. Our results suggest that during the course of smoking a single cigarette, nicotine yield is not a major controlling factor in puffing behaviour. On the other hand, physical parameters of the cigarette, such as draw resistance, can have a significant impact on puffing behaviour and consequently on exposure. Other factors will come into play regarding the longer term decisions taken by smokers on their subsequent choice of product and smoking behaviour.