Tobacco Use among College Students

Background: College students engage in various risk-taking behaviors, such as tobacco use. Literature has identified various reasons such as the need for psychological coping for their stress and anxiety, and the social influence of peer pressure from family and friends. Tobacco use comes in different forms such as pipes, cigars, and e-cigarettes. The use of these substances by a parent, sibling, or peer is highly associated with high levels of use among college students. Students are more likely to use an alternative tobacco product as a form of cigarette cessation. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to gain an understanding of tobacco use among college students. Method: A retrospective review of 400 electronic health records, from college students enrolled in a State University from 2016-2017, were examined. The information collected focused on tobacco use, such as smoking cigarettes, using pipes, cigars, and e-cigarettes. Results: Data collection is still ongoing. Conclusion: Many students have stated that their reason for starting to smoke was due to of peer influence, the flavors/tastes, and easy environmental access to low costs. The students continued smoking because tobacco was managing their stress. On the other hand, some students were motivated to stop smoking because of their parents, and health concerns