Relationship between alcohol consumption and smoking initiation among college student smokers

During the decade of the 1990s, smoking prevalence increased nearly 30% in the college student population. Although most college students initiate smoking before the age of 18, recent evidence suggests a sizable minority of undergraduates report starting smoking while in college. This study examined the relationship between past year alcohol use and past year smoking initiation among a sample of undergraduate students (ages 18-24) attending a large public university in the Southwestern United States. A total of 3,450 students (67% female, 45% non-white) participated in four cross-sectional waves of an internet survey measuring alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. Approximately 20% of the sample reported smoking during the past month and 17% of ever-smokers reported initiating smoking at the age of 19 or older. Overall, ever-smoking participants reported a significantly lower age of first drink (M = 15.4, SD = 2.2) than age of first cigarette (M = 16.4, SD = 2.6), t(1398) = -13.62, p < 0.001. Men also reported initiating smoking at a younger age (M = 16.2, SD = 2.7) than women (M = 16.8, SD = 2.6), t(1396) = -2.07, p <0.05. Mean age of smoking initiation did not vary by participant race. Results of a multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between past year frequency of drinking and the odds of initiating smoking during the past 12 months among current smokers. The influence of alcohol consumption on smoking initiation among college students is discussed.