To start and quit smoking cigarettes: an evaluation of students in a Nigerian city

INTRODUCTION. Several factors have been shown to influence cigarette smoking and are important in creating measures for tobacco control. The aim of this study is to identify the factors responsible for making decisions to start or stop cigarette smoking among students. METHODS. This was a cross-sectional study which sampled 280 youths in tertiary institutions using multi-stage sampling technique. The data was collected using self- administered questionnaire that had been pretested and validated. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Frequency tables and cross-tabulations were generated with a 95% confidence interval and predetermined p-value at less than 0.05. RESULTS. All the current smokers (100%) were males, most (73.2%) were within 21 to 25 years of age and 87.8% of them had a relative or friend who smoked. Some (29%) of the students who currently smoked were willing to quit smoking while 73.2% of them had ever attempted to quit smoking. Students who smoked to relieve stress were willing to stop smoking (100.0%), while 40% of those who smoked for pleasure/relaxation were willing to stop smoking. Students who had received lectures on smoking were significantly willing to quit (100.0%) compared with those who had not received such lectures (0.0%) (p=0.000). DISCUSSION. Understanding the role of the factors associated with smoking initiating and cessation is very crucial in planning appropriate intervention for the control of cigarette smoking among the youths and there is need for more youth oriented health education directed towards a proper attitude to tobacco control.