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Background: Higher cigarette prices result in decreased cigarette consumption, but some smokers may seek lower-taxed cigarette sources. This price avoidance behaviour likely dampens the health impact of higher cigarette prices although it has not been thoroughly studied. Objective: To describe the characteristics of smokers who purchase low/untaxed cigarettes and to examine how this behaviour is associated with subsequent changes in smoking behaviours. Methods: Telephone survey data from 8930 smokers from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey (ITC-4) were used to assess cigarette purchase patterns and smoking behaviours in Wave 1 conducted from October to December 2002 and subsequently followed seven months later in Wave 2. Respondents ’ smoking status, attempts to quit, amount smoked, and cigarette purchase patterns were assessed in both waves. Results: Rates of purchase from a low/untaxed source at the respondents ’ last cigarette purchase differed notably between countries at Wave 1, from less than 1 % in Australia to 15 % in the United Kingdom. In the UK, but not the other countries, this increased significantly to 20 % at Wave 2. Smokers who were older, white/English speakers, had higher incomes, and had higher levels of education were more likely to report purchasing cigarettes from a low/untaxed source on their last purchase. Those who reported purchasin