Abstract
Objectives
To understand the perception and responses among college students to a strict campus smoking policy which was in accordance with a national law requiring complete prohibition indoors and permission to smoke in designated outdoor smoking areas only.
Methods
This study was conducted in the third to sixth month after the implementation of the revised Tobacco Hazard Prevention Act in Taiwan. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 smokers who were second and third year students of a college in Taiwan. Thematic analysis was used to categorize ideas into concept themes.
Results
In interviews, most smokers revealed some modification in their smoking behavior and attitude: they sensed that smoking was unwelcome, reduced smoking in campus, thought about quitting, and tried to avoid exposing roommates in the dormitory. The reasons cited by the students for behavior change were grouped into four major themes: a changed smoking experience, change in social norm, the respect for law, and concern for others’ health.
Conclusions
Implementation of a strict smoking policy in college prompted smokers to markedly reduce smoking in campus.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albers AB, Siegel M, Cheng DM, Biener L, Rigotti NA (2004) Relation between local restaurant smoking regulations and attitudes towards the prevalence and social acceptability of smoking: a study of youths and adults who eat out predominantly at restaurants in their town. Tob Control 13(4):347–355
Baska T, Baskova M, Hudeckova H, Straka S, Mad’ar R (2007) Increasing trends of tobacco use in medical students in Slovakia—a reason for concern? Cent Eur J Public Health 15(1):29–32
Borland R, Yong HH, Siahpush M, Hyland A, Campbell S, Hastings G, Cummings KM, Fong GT (2006) Support for and reported compliance with smoke-free restaurants and bars by smokers in four countries: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey. Tob Control 15(Suppl 3):iii34–iii41
Etter JF, Ronchi A, Perneger T (1999) Short-term impact of a university based smoke free campaign. J Epidemiol Community Health 53(11):710–715
Fong GT, Hyland A, Borland R, Hammond D, Hastings G, McNeill A, Anderson S, Cummings KM, Allwright S, Mulcahy M, Howell F, Clancy L, Thompson ME, Connolly G, Driezen P (2006) Reductions in tobacco smoke pollution and increases in support for smoke-free public places following the implementation of comprehensive smoke-free workplace legislation in the Republic of Ireland: findings from the ITC Ireland/UK Survey. Tob Control 15(Suppl 3):iii51–iii58
Grogan S, Fry G, Gough B, Conner M (2009) Smoking to stay thin or giving up to save face? Young men and women talk about appearance concerns and smoking. Br J Health Psychol 14(Pt 1):175–186
Hammond D (2005) Smoking behaviour among young adults: beyond youth prevention. Tob Control 14(3):181–185
Heim D, Ross A, Eadie D, MacAskill S, Davies JB, Hastings G, Haw S (2009) Public health or social impacts? A qualitative analysis of attitudes toward the smoke-free legislation in Scotland. Nicotine Tob Res 11(12):1424–1430
Hopkins DP, Razi S, Leeks KD, Priya Kalra G, Chattopadhyay SK, Soler RE (2010) Smokefree policies to reduce tobacco use a systematic review. Am J Prev Med 38(2 Suppl):S275–S289
Lantz PM (2003) Smoking on the rise among young adults: implications for research and policy. Tob Control 12(Suppl 1):i60–i70
Lazuras L, Eiser JR, Rodafinos A (2009) Predicting smokers’ non-compliance with smoking restrictions in public places. Tob Control 18(2):127–131
Levinson AH, Campo S, Gascoigne J, Jolly O, Zakharyan A, Tran ZV (2007) Smoking, but not smokers: identity among college students who smoke cigarettes. Nicotine Tob Res 9(8):845–852
Moran S, Wechsler H, Rigotti NA (2004) Social smoking among US college students. Pediatrics 114(4):1028–1034
Murphy-Hoefer R, Griffith R, Pederson LL, Crossett L, Iyer SR, Hiller MD (2005) A review of interventions to reduce tobacco use in colleges and universities. Am J Prev Med 28(2):188–200
Nichter M, Lloyd-Richardson EE, Flaherty B, Carkoglu A, Taylor N (2006) Gendered dimensions of smoking among college students. J Adolesc Res 21:215–243
Philpot SJ, Ryan SA, Torre LE, Wilcox HM, Jalleh G, Jamrozik K (1999) Effect of smoke-free policies on the behaviour of social smokers. Tob Control 8(3):278–281
Poland BD (2000) The ‘considerate’ smoker in public space: the micro-politics and political economy of ‘doing the right thing’. Health Place 6(1):1–14
Riou Franca L, Dautzenberg B, Falissard B, Reynaud M (2009) Are social norms associated with smoking in French university students? A survey report on smoking correlates. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 4:4
Ritchie D, Amos A, Martin C (2010) Public places after smoke-free—a qualitative exploration of the changes in smoking behaviour. Health Place 16(3):461–469
Rohrbach LA, Howard-Pitney B, Unger JB, Dent CW, Howard KA, Cruz TB, Ribisl KM, Norman GJ, Fishbein H, Johnson CA (2002) Independent evaluation of the California Tobacco Control Program: relationships between program exposure and outcomes, 1996–1998. Am J Public Health 92(6):975–983
Sepe E, Glantz SA (2002) Bar and club tobacco promotions in the alternative press: targeting young adults. Am J Public Health 92(1):75–78
Smith DR, Leggat PA (2007) An international review of tobacco smoking among medical students. J Postgrad Med 53(1):55–62
Susan Shur-Fen G, Meng-Chuan L, Yen-Nan C, Chun-Te L, Ming-Been L, Hai-Gwo H (2009) Individual and family correlates for cigarette smoking among Taiwanese college students. Compr Psychiatr 50(3):276–285
Taiwan International Medical Alliance (2010) National survey of smoking behavior among college students and staff (final report). Bureau of Health Promotion, Department of Health, Taipei
Tamim H, Terro A, Kassem H, Ghazi A, Khamis TA, Hay MM, Musharrafieh U (2003) Tobacco use by university students, Lebanon, 2001. Addiction 98(7):933–939
Thompson B, Thompson LA, Hymer J, Zbikowsi S, Halperin A, Jaffe R (2007) A qualitative study of attitudes, beliefs, and practices among 40 undergraduate smokers. J Am Coll Health 56(1):23–28
Wakefield M, Cameron M, Murphy M (2009) Potential for smoke-free policies in social venues to prevent smoking uptake and reduce relapse: a qualitative study. Health Promot Pract 10(1):119–127
Wen CP, Levy DT, Cheng TY, Hsu CC, Tsai SP (2005) Smoking behaviour in Taiwan, 2001. Tob Control 14(Suppl 1):51–55
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thanks all the college students in the deep interviews. This work was supported by the Yang Ming University Graduate Student Scholarship.
Conflict of interest
None.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chuang, SH., Huang, SL. Changes in smoking behavior among college students following implementation of a strict campus smoking policy in Taiwan. Int J Public Health 57, 199–205 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0265-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0265-5