By
Shana Heiser
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Smoking in Arizona also down 6 % in past 3 years
Tobacco use at UA is lower than the national average for college-aged students, according to three recent surveys.
About 28 percent of University of Arizona students have used tobacco in the last 30 days compared to the national average of 33 percent.
"We don't have that many students that smoke here," said Lynn Reyes, alcohol and other drugs specialist for Campus Health. "Students are always surprised by the low percent."
The survey, published in the August 9 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed that 46 percent of college students had used a tobacco product in the past year, which is more than previous studies reported.
The number of smokers at UA has risen by about one percent in the past year, according to the annual university Health and Wellness Survey conducted in spring.
In 1996, 27.5 percent of Arizonans between the ages of 18 and 24 reported that they had smoked occasionally or daily in the past 30 days. Last year, it was only 21 percent.
"In the last three years, Arizona has had one of the largest drops of any state in the country," said Stuart Cohen, UA public health professor. "We are probably at one of the lowest rates in the country. There are probably only one or two states that are lower."
There is no clear explanation for why UA students smoke less than students on the other 119 campuses surveyed across the United States, but Melissa McGee, health educator from UA Campus Health Service, can speculate.
"In the southwest, we tend to see lower rates of smoking," said McGee. "That's pretty typical. People who live out in the west tend to be a little more health conscious than other regions of the country."
Cohen attributes some of Arizona's non-smoking success to the state's cigarette tax.
"Arizona was one of the few states that designated a special tax on cigarettes that's used specifically in a program that's called Tobacco Education and Prevention," he said.
The Arizona Tobacco Information Center has also developed a line smokers can call, located near the UA, which may contribute to the decline of smoking.
"A number of states are trying to develop help lines, and ours is probably as close to state of the art as you can get," Cohen said. "You get a real counselor, and they hold your hand and work you through trying to quit."
Some smokers disagree with the reportedly low percentage of students who use tobacco products at UA.
"I think there are more people that smoke here," biology junior Robert Smith said. "That percent is totally wrong. A majority of people here smoke, I think it's like half. Everybody (nationwide) is the same."
Even non-smokers question the accuracy of the recent studies, claiming it could over-represent smokers on campus.
"I don't think that many people on campus smoke," public administration junior John Rodriguez said. "It's not that stressful of a campus. The majority of all college students are freshmen, and within the last 12 months they may have been smoking in high school. It's bringing the high school and college together."
The percentages do not take into account the students who refused to answer some questions. The national survey yielded a 60 percent response rate (14,138 students), while some UA participants skipped questions.
The focus on tobacco campaigns and preventing students from not smoking at all will not influence everyone, according to Smith, who thinks "people aren't going to pay any attention."
"Even with the nationwide advertisement, the 'smelly, puking habit' one, I see a lot of high school kids smoking," Smith said. "I think smoking will just increase. They're not going to care."
