College student tobacco use and the campus-community environment

The 18-24 year old population is the youngest age group that tobacco companies can legally market to. It is not surprising, then, that young adults (18-24) have the highest prevalence of smokeless use and represent the only age group where smoking rates are rising. They are targeted on college campuses through campus media, bar promotions, and local tobacco retailers. The goals of this study are to assess the prevalence of cigarette and smokeless tobacco use among a large, multi-institution sample of college students and to assess the environmental correlates of tobacco use, including tobacco retail density, tobacco product advertisements, and local bar promotions. In fall 2010, 10,430 freshmen from 11 four-year colleges in North Carolina and Virginia completed a web-based survey as part of the NCI-funded Smokeless Tobacco Use Among College Students study. Among respondents, 19.5% reported past 12-month cigarette use and 6.5% reported past 12-month smokeless use. Outlet density rates, created for each school based on the number of tobacco retailers within a 2-mile radius, ranged from 0.47-5.99 outlets per 1,000 students. Environmental assessments are currently underway in each community to assess on-campus and community tobacco advertising, as well as local bar promotions. Additional analyses will be conducted to assess the relationship between tobacco use and demographics, retail density, tobacco advertising, and bar promotions. Study results will provide insight as to the environmental factors that may contribute to tobacco use among college students. Implications for tobacco policy and prevention efforts will be discussed.