Attitudes, Feelings, and Thoughts: Burning Questions About Nicotine Use Among College Populations

Despite the fact that the negative effects of smoking are continually being reported, nicotine use among Americans can still be seen on a daily basis and cigarette sales are still a highly profitable market for tobacco companies. This raises many questions regarding nicotine use, such as the motivations and perceptions of both users and nonusers. Among college populations, these questions are essential in evaluating the trend of nicotine use and the reasoning behind the trend. In this study, the attitudes, feelings, and thoughts of college students regarding nicotine use were assessed using 158 college students who were nicotine users, 65%, and nonusers, 35%. Confidential survey packets were used to collect data concerning nicotine use versus nonuse, and attitudes, feelings, and thoughts about nicotine and its use. Those indicating that they had smoked a cigarette were then questioned on the subject of frequency of smoking, age of first nicotine use, attempts at quitting, and predictions of future use. Both nicotine users and nonusers were questioned regarding personal attitudes, beliefs, and thoughts about smoking and nicotine use. Differences between the groups were analyzed, and significant results were found. Out of 65% nicotine users, equal numbers of participants reported having tried to quit smoking as reported not having tried to quit smoking. Complete analysis and results will be discussed