CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

There are more and more people smoking, as they enter college. Aside from looking for ways to quit smoking, researchers have also conducted surveys and numerous studies on what causes most students to start smoking. Furthermore, they’ve observed that student’s habits and behaviour can determine attitudes and reasons why they currently smoke. It is essential to find out more about the reasons and compulsiveness of the college smoker in order to help the smoker cope with situations that cause them to smoke. College students have had lower smoking rates than people the same age who are not in college, but the gap is narrowing. It shrunk from 20.0% in 1980 to 10.0% by 1999 (Halperin, 2002).

Surprisingly, most of the people who start smoking in college only smoke socially and when around others. Most of those who exclusively smoke during parties do not even consider themselves as smokers (Kimberly Waters 2010). The rest who were smokers before they entered college are mostly the ones that smoke cigarettes habitually and by themselves (Patterson, F 2004). For many students, smoking is synonymous to college life. Most college students are bound to enjoy partying and found freedom when they reach the legal drinking age. Many develop the habit of smoking when they are drinking. Students may believe that smoking calms them during high-stress situations like class workload, earning money while at school and social difficulties (Ireland, Jae. 2010). Social statuses were a factor in why students smoke. Areas where people have low income were more likely to smoke because of the marketing and availability of tobacco products. A study taken in Karachi, Pakistan showed that students from low-income areas with fewer resources are more likely to become smokers. Tobacco products were easily accessible in these areas (Rozi et.al 2007).