What We Know From the Data…

No doubt, the college demographic (18-24) has got to be one of the most scrutinized, surveyed and analyzed segments of the population. So since they've got us under the microscope anyway, is there anything that can be learned from the data? According to the 2005 Core Survey, 28.2% of college students indicated using tobacco (cigarettes, chew, or snuff) in the past 30 days. The good news is an even bigger percentage (71.8%) DON'T! And half of the current college smokers would like to quit.

What we also know from the data is that there are some groups (priority populations) on your campus that are more likely to use tobacco because the tobacco industry targets these groups with ads, sponsorships and promotional events in an insidious effort to recruit and maintain them as life-long smokers. They are called priority populations because they are a priority for prevention efforts.

Try to guess which of these campus subgroups are considered priority populations?

a. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Students
b. Fraternity Members
c. Art Students
d. Women
e. All of the above
f. None of the above

The answer is "e." All of these populations are considered high-risk subgroups. Click on the link below to find out more.

Priority Populations

Sources:
1. www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/adult_cig_smoking.htm