August 25, 2000

The first national study to report on both cigarette and non-cigarette tobacco use by college students found that nearly one-half of college students (46 percent) reported using tobacco products in the previous year, and one-third of students had used tobacco in the past 30 days.

The study, reported in the Aug. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association and conducted by researchers from the MGH and the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, is the first to look at cigar smoking among college students. More than half of males and one quarter of females in the study reported they had smoked a cigar at least once, and 9 percent had smoked a cigar in the past month.

"Our findings show that college students are using all types of tobacco products," says lead author Nancy Rigotti, MD, director of Tobacco Research and Treatment at the MGH. "All tobacco products – not just cigarettes – can produce nicotine addiction. Essentially, college students are playing with fire, putting themselves at risk of a lifelong addiction to nicotine."

More than 14,000 students at 119 colleges in 39 states were surveyed about their tobacco use. By including the use of cigars and smokeless tobacco, the study finds a greater prevalence of tobacco use among college students than previous reports that have looked only at cigarette use. Although about 28 percent of both male and female students were current cigarette smokers, total tobacco use was higher among males (38 percent versus 30 percent), almost entirely related to males' much higher use of cigars.

Rigotti and her colleagues note in the study that the college years are a crucial time in the development or abandonment of smoking behavior. They urge colleges to discourage tobacco use and recommend making all college buildings, including dormitories and living quarters, smoke-free.

"Smoke-free dormitories may discourage new students from taking up smoking, make it easier for current smokers to stop and even reduce fire hazards," says Rigotti.

For more information about the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, visit the website at www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas