Cigarette smoking among college students
Encyclopedia
The rates of college students smoking in the United States
have fluctuated for the past twenty years. Majority of lifelong smokers begin smoking habits before the age of 24, which makes the college years a crucial time in the study of cigarette
consumption. Cigarette smoking on college campuses has become an important public health
issue and there has been increase in campus wide smoking ban
s and other preventative programs to reduce the rates of students smoking.
. Risk factor
s include :
, weight loss
, social interaction, or just the continuation of a habit.
, and smoking often occurs after stressful events or in stressful situations. Studies find that depressed college students are more likely to smoke and have a more difficult time quitting than non-depressed college students. 31.9% of college smokers attribute their smoking behavior as a means to alleviate their depression . Depression is related to lower self-efficacy
, and depressed individuals are considered less able to resist smoking during times of low self esteem, which leads to higher reports of smoking among depressed individuals.
in cigarettes is a successful appetite suppressant, which contributes to the use of cigarettes as a dieting
tool. The pressure to be thin along with a need for social approval drives many young college women to smoke . Body-conscious college women are also shown to be at higher risk for the continuation of smoking. Women who discontinue the use of nicotine as an appetite suppressant tend to gain weight initially, and women who are especially concerned with body weight
will see this as a reason to continue smoking .
The media and tobacco advertising
play an increasing role in perpetuating the thin body ideal. Studies show the more exposure women have to images of thin women, the lower their body satisfaction, and the more likely they are to want to diet . Tobacco companies pay special attention to the concerns of women and weight loss and use this concern to target women in cigarette advertising campaigns.
use among college students. Alcohol is a contributing factor to smoking, especially on college campuses where alcohol use is so predominant (Nichter et al.). In these situations, smoking is believed to aid in social interactions with members of the opposite sex, which is promoted by tobacco companies in their advertisements involving sexual images of men and women. Smoking after drinking is also reported to as a form of reorientation and an attempt to reduce the drunken state (Nichter). Some smokers enjoy smoking while drinking because it allows normal smokers to partake in smoking without so many negative judgments from peers (Nichter). While smoking is stigma
tized during the daily life of a student on campus, it is an acceptable activity at parties, especially when combined with alcohol (Nichter). Suggested interventions are those that target both alcohol and tobacco use (Nichter).
to smoking, or worried about the social acceptability of their smoking habits . In a study conducted in 2004, 51% of current college smokers stated that they primarily smoked with other people and in social activities. 71% of occasional smokers smoked in a social situation, compared to daily smokers, 19% of which smoke in social environment
. Students who started smoking within the past two years of the study were more than twice as likely to be social smokers than students who had been smoking for a longer period of time prior to the study. Characteristics of social smokers have been found to include more females and non-Hispanic whites, than other demographic characteristics and spent more time socializing with friends, were binge drinkers
and had a high importance for the arts. Lastly, social smokers don’t perceive themselves at risk to tobacco related illnesses, nor believe they will ever become nicotine dependent. Since social smokers don’t think they’ll become dependent on nicotine, they don’t plan on quitting during college, but have intentions to quit once they graduate.
These perceived gender
differences are inextricably linked with social environments where smoking and alcohol consumption
occur. The perceptions of cigarette smoking in male and female students reflect similar perceptions of alcohol use in college students .
is particularly concerned with younger audiences because they constitute the future of smoking and tobacco profits
. In an insider document from Philip Morris
, the company states:
"It is important to know as much as possible about teenage smoking patterns and attitudes. Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while still in their teens... The smoking patterns of teenagers are particularly important to Philip Morris." - Philip Morris Companies Inc., 1981 .
Tobacco advertisements target youth and try to market cigarettes as a way to cope with changing environments (Ling). College is considered a crucial time in the lives of adolescents and is a time for change, experimentation, and discovery, which makes it an ideal time for tobacco companies to advertise and gain future consumer
s.
campaigns targeting this age group. These advertisements show smoking as modern, hip, cool, fun, and adventurous . The Joe Camel
cartoon character is famously known as RJ Reynolds’ tool to entice younger audiences towards cigarette smoking.
s, clothing
, and accessories, and this memorabilia is then given for free during events . These logos can also be seen in restaurant
s and bar
s, which are places young people frequent. During the 1980s and 1990s, tobacco companies aggressively advertised their products in bars and nightclub
s, mostly targeting younger audiences . According to insider documents from tobacco companies RJ Reynolds and Philip Morris, tobacco companies had several strategies for targeting youth. They handed out free samples, sponsored parties at bars and fraternities on campuses, and hosted many events in popular spring break
towns .
This aggressive advertising led to a general increase in smoking among young adults aged 18 to 24.
prohibiting tobacco use was in the Spanish colonies in 1575, passed by the Roman Catholic Church
. In the United States, smoking bans increased around the early twentieth century and have been increasing ever since. In 1973, Arizona
is the first state to pass a comprehensive law restricting smoking in public places in the current era . The numbers of smoking bans on college campuses across the country have been increasing. Between 2006 and 2008, the number of smoke-free campuses have quadrupled from 34 to 160 , but approximately 365 US colleges and universities have implemented some kind of anti-smoking
rule, both indoor and outdoor as well as around 500 campuses have smoke free policies set in place for their residential housing . Smoking bans on college and university campuses have led to debates that bring forward a number of pros and cons. For example, some pros to implementing campus wide smoking bans include creating a healthier environment and dramatically reducing the amount of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or secondhand smoke (SHS). On the other hand, some students feel that these smoking bans violate their rights. The tobacco industry agrees that individuals should be able to avoid ETS or SHS, but believe that complete campus-wide bans "go too far".
A study from 2005 found that other forms of intervention to decrease the rates of tobacco use on campus, such as restriction of tobacco distribution and restriction of smoking within 20 feet from entrances weren’t as effective as other programs like smoking cessation programs in influencing college students’ smoking behaviors . When prevention-oriented education was present on college campuses, students were 23% less likely to smoke compared to their peers who were not exposed to this kind of education . In addition to campus wide smoking bans, other interventions include health promotion programs that teach students the benefits of avoiding smoking and environments with smoke and create a general healthy college community .
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have fluctuated for the past twenty years. Majority of lifelong smokers begin smoking habits before the age of 24, which makes the college years a crucial time in the study of cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
consumption. Cigarette smoking on college campuses has become an important public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
issue and there has been increase in campus wide smoking ban
Smoking ban
Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
s and other preventative programs to reduce the rates of students smoking.
Statistics
- 85% of current adult smokers began smoking by the age of 21, which may show how behaviors in college-aged students can predict smoking behavior later in life (American Lung AssociationAmerican Lung AssociationThe American Lung Association is a voluntary health organization whose mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.-History:...
). - Each year, approximately 440,000 deaths are related to cigarette smoking, including smoking on college campuses .
- An estimated 28.5% of college students are smokers in the United States in relation to the current rate of US adult smoking, which is 20.6% .
- Throughout the 1980s, studies found rates for adult smoking were gradually declining, while those of adolescents were not .
- During 1990s cigarette smoking among college students rose from 23% to 31%, but by the year 2000, percentages began to decline .
- In 2002, 16% of college students smoke on a daily basis versus 32% of their non-college peers J. Though statistically, college students do not smoke as much as non-college students, smoking on college campuses is a growing trend and public health debateDebateDebate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
.
Predictors Associated with Youth Tobacco Use
Certain social, economic, and environmental factors can be associated with the prediction of youth and an increased use in tobaccoTobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. Risk factor
Risk factor
In epidemiology, a risk factor is a variable associated with an increased risk of disease or infection. Sometimes, determinant is also used, being a variable associated with either increased or decreased risk.-Correlation vs causation:...
s include :
- Lower socioeconomic statusSocioeconomic statusSocioeconomic status is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person's work experience and of an individual's or family’s economic and social position in relation to others, based on income, education, and occupation...
- Having parents, close relatives, or guardians that smoke
- Acceptance and positive views of smoking by peers
- Incompletion of higher levels of educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
- High availability of and exposure to tobacco products
- Violent behaviorViolenceViolence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
Factors for college smoking in the U.S.
College students in the U.S. also choose to smoke for a variety of reasons including stressStress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
, weight loss
Weight loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue...
, social interaction, or just the continuation of a habit.
Stress and Emotion
Students note that smoking cigarettes reduces anxietyAnxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
, and smoking often occurs after stressful events or in stressful situations. Studies find that depressed college students are more likely to smoke and have a more difficult time quitting than non-depressed college students. 31.9% of college smokers attribute their smoking behavior as a means to alleviate their depression . Depression is related to lower self-efficacy
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is a term used in psychology, roughly corresponding to a person's belief in their own competence.It has been defined as the belief that one is capable of performing in a certain manner to attain certain set of goals. It is believed that our personalized ideas of self-efficacy affect...
, and depressed individuals are considered less able to resist smoking during times of low self esteem, which leads to higher reports of smoking among depressed individuals.
Weight Loss
For women in particular, smoking is a tool for weight loss and weight management . NicotineNicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
in cigarettes is a successful appetite suppressant, which contributes to the use of cigarettes as a dieting
Dieting
Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight. In most cases dieting is used in combination with physical exercise to lose weight in those who are overweight or obese. Some athletes, however, follow a diet to gain weight...
tool. The pressure to be thin along with a need for social approval drives many young college women to smoke . Body-conscious college women are also shown to be at higher risk for the continuation of smoking. Women who discontinue the use of nicotine as an appetite suppressant tend to gain weight initially, and women who are especially concerned with body weight
Body weight
The term body weight is used in daily English speech as well as in the contexts of biological and medical sciences to describe the mass of an organism's body. Body weight is measured in kilograms throughout the world, although in some countries it is still measured in pounds or stones and pounds...
will see this as a reason to continue smoking .
The media and tobacco advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
play an increasing role in perpetuating the thin body ideal. Studies show the more exposure women have to images of thin women, the lower their body satisfaction, and the more likely they are to want to diet . Tobacco companies pay special attention to the concerns of women and weight loss and use this concern to target women in cigarette advertising campaigns.
Field of Study
Some studies suggest even a student’s field of study may cause them to be a smoker. The highest rates of smoking are found in students majoring in Communications, languages, or Cultural Studies .Social Activity
Some students smoke as a way to socialize and take study breaks from classes . Smoking can also be linked with alcoholAlcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
use among college students. Alcohol is a contributing factor to smoking, especially on college campuses where alcohol use is so predominant (Nichter et al.). In these situations, smoking is believed to aid in social interactions with members of the opposite sex, which is promoted by tobacco companies in their advertisements involving sexual images of men and women. Smoking after drinking is also reported to as a form of reorientation and an attempt to reduce the drunken state (Nichter). Some smokers enjoy smoking while drinking because it allows normal smokers to partake in smoking without so many negative judgments from peers (Nichter). While smoking is stigma
Social stigma
Social stigma is the severe disapproval of or discontent with a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.Almost all stigma is based on a person differing from social or cultural norms...
tized during the daily life of a student on campus, it is an acceptable activity at parties, especially when combined with alcohol (Nichter). Suggested interventions are those that target both alcohol and tobacco use (Nichter).
Social Smokers
Today’s smoking culture includes a subpopulation of smokers called “social smokers”. Although there may be different explanations of what a social smoker is, many college students define “social smokers” as those who use tobacco in more social activities and find it essential for socializing, rather than using tobacco on a regular basis, dictated by nicotine dependence . Social smokers don’t believe that they are addictedAddiction
Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.Addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity...
to smoking, or worried about the social acceptability of their smoking habits . In a study conducted in 2004, 51% of current college smokers stated that they primarily smoked with other people and in social activities. 71% of occasional smokers smoked in a social situation, compared to daily smokers, 19% of which smoke in social environment
Social environment
The social environment of an individual, also called social context or milieu, is the culture that s/he was educated or lives in, and the people and institutions with whom the person interacts....
. Students who started smoking within the past two years of the study were more than twice as likely to be social smokers than students who had been smoking for a longer period of time prior to the study. Characteristics of social smokers have been found to include more females and non-Hispanic whites, than other demographic characteristics and spent more time socializing with friends, were binge drinkers
Binge drinking
Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...
and had a high importance for the arts. Lastly, social smokers don’t perceive themselves at risk to tobacco related illnesses, nor believe they will ever become nicotine dependent. Since social smokers don’t think they’ll become dependent on nicotine, they don’t plan on quitting during college, but have intentions to quit once they graduate.
Smoking and Perceived Gender Disparities
Studies have shown that there are social differences in the smoking behaviors of males and females in college. In a 2006 study, qualitative analysis data showed that males and females have certain perceptions of their sex or the opposite sex smoking. From both male and female students’ perspectives, there were negative feelings towards women smoking and it was considered “unlady like”. However, if men were smoking, the perception was positive, and they were considered cool or gave off a tough-guy image. In addition to drinking alcohol at parties, male students appeared in control if they had a cigarette in the other hand. Even though there were negative perceptions of female students smoking, smoking at parties is considered more of a female behavior rather than a male behavior. Despite negative perceptions of females smoking, students thought that when females smoke in groups of girlfriends it wasn’t trashy. Rather, when female students smoked in groups of girlfriends it appeared as though individual’s smoking habits were regulated by the group, instead of the individual’s dependence on nicotine.These perceived gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
differences are inextricably linked with social environments where smoking and alcohol consumption
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol consumption may refer to:* Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States* Alcoholic beverage* Legal drinking age* List of countries by alcohol consumption* Long-term effects of alcohol* Short-term effects of alcohol...
occur. The perceptions of cigarette smoking in male and female students reflect similar perceptions of alcohol use in college students .
Targeting by the Tobacco Industry
The tobacco industryTobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any warm, moist environment, which means it can be farmed on all...
is particularly concerned with younger audiences because they constitute the future of smoking and tobacco profits
Profit (accounting)
In accounting, profit can be considered to be the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market whatever it is that is accounted as an enterprise in terms of the component costs of delivered goods and/or services and any operating or other expenses.-Definition:There are...
. In an insider document from Philip Morris
Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris USA is the United States tobacco division of Altria Group, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Benson and Hedges, Merit, Parliament, Alpine, Basic, Cambridge, Bucks, Dave's, Chesterfield, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark, L&M, Players and...
, the company states:
"It is important to know as much as possible about teenage smoking patterns and attitudes. Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while still in their teens... The smoking patterns of teenagers are particularly important to Philip Morris." - Philip Morris Companies Inc., 1981 .
Tobacco advertisements target youth and try to market cigarettes as a way to cope with changing environments (Ling). College is considered a crucial time in the lives of adolescents and is a time for change, experimentation, and discovery, which makes it an ideal time for tobacco companies to advertise and gain future consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
s.
Replacement Smokers
The industry refers to new smokers as “replacement smokers” because they are in effect, replacing smokers who have quit or died over the years . Young people, including college students, constitute the majority of replacement smokers, and tobacco companies have created marketingMarketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
campaigns targeting this age group. These advertisements show smoking as modern, hip, cool, fun, and adventurous . The Joe Camel
Joe Camel
Joe Camel was the advertising mascot for Camel cigarettes from late 1987 to July 12, 1997, appearing in magazine advertisements, billboards, and other print media.-History:The U.S. marketing team of R. J...
cartoon character is famously known as RJ Reynolds’ tool to entice younger audiences towards cigarette smoking.
Alternative Press
Tobacco companies use “alternative press” and brand recognition as another way to advertise toward college-aged students. Companies put their logo on everyday items like towelTowel
A towel is a piece of absorbent fabric or paper used for drying or wiping. It draws moisture through direct contact, often using a blotting or a rubbing motion. Common household textile towels are made from cotton, rayon, bamboo, nonwoven fibers or a few other materials.-Types of towels:* A bath...
s, clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
, and accessories, and this memorabilia is then given for free during events . These logos can also be seen in restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
s, which are places young people frequent. During the 1980s and 1990s, tobacco companies aggressively advertised their products in bars and nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s, mostly targeting younger audiences . According to insider documents from tobacco companies RJ Reynolds and Philip Morris, tobacco companies had several strategies for targeting youth. They handed out free samples, sponsored parties at bars and fraternities on campuses, and hosted many events in popular spring break
Spring break
Spring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...
towns .
This aggressive advertising led to a general increase in smoking among young adults aged 18 to 24.
Smoking Bans
Each year, approximately 440,000 deaths and $193 billion in healthcare costs are related to cigarette smoking, including smoking on college campuses . Many campuses in the United States are attempting to reduce smoking rates among students by implementing campus-wide smoking bans. Various forms of smoking bans have been around for hundreds of years. The first recorded legislationLegislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
prohibiting tobacco use was in the Spanish colonies in 1575, passed by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. In the United States, smoking bans increased around the early twentieth century and have been increasing ever since. In 1973, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
is the first state to pass a comprehensive law restricting smoking in public places in the current era . The numbers of smoking bans on college campuses across the country have been increasing. Between 2006 and 2008, the number of smoke-free campuses have quadrupled from 34 to 160 , but approximately 365 US colleges and universities have implemented some kind of anti-smoking
Anti-smoking movement
Tobacco control is a field of public health science, policy and practice dedicated to controlling the growth of tobacco use and thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality it causes...
rule, both indoor and outdoor as well as around 500 campuses have smoke free policies set in place for their residential housing . Smoking bans on college and university campuses have led to debates that bring forward a number of pros and cons. For example, some pros to implementing campus wide smoking bans include creating a healthier environment and dramatically reducing the amount of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or secondhand smoke (SHS). On the other hand, some students feel that these smoking bans violate their rights. The tobacco industry agrees that individuals should be able to avoid ETS or SHS, but believe that complete campus-wide bans "go too far".
A study from 2005 found that other forms of intervention to decrease the rates of tobacco use on campus, such as restriction of tobacco distribution and restriction of smoking within 20 feet from entrances weren’t as effective as other programs like smoking cessation programs in influencing college students’ smoking behaviors . When prevention-oriented education was present on college campuses, students were 23% less likely to smoke compared to their peers who were not exposed to this kind of education . In addition to campus wide smoking bans, other interventions include health promotion programs that teach students the benefits of avoiding smoking and environments with smoke and create a general healthy college community .