A Research on whether Smoking

should be banned on Campus

Prepared by
Mohammed Umer Qureshi SCM-

Background of the Study

The

university years are an important life phase for

every student during which they develop and engage
in risky behaviours such as smoking. And most
students that initiate smoking become addicted.
Smoking therefore is an important public-health
problem among university students.
Evidence indicates that second hand smoking is
associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular
diseases, lung cancers and respiratory problems
Not only do non-smoking policies encourage smokers
to decrease or even quit smoking, but they also
protect smokers and non-smokers from the effects of

Objectives
- To find out the reasons to why students

smoke on campus.
- How often do the students smoke and
their opinions on smoking.
- What students think about a smoking
policy in campus and any related effects.

Research Questions
1.Reason and Frequency of smoking
2.Opinions about smoking
3.Any Challenges students will face
if smoking is banned on Campus.

Literature Review
Causes of Smoking
Regular

smoking is usually established in early

adulthood, and studies show that people who begin
smoking at an earlier age (university phase) and are
less likely to succeed in quitting (Everett et al. 1999).

Students

smoke because they also want to cope with

stress and social anxieties. Kypri and Baxter (2004)
also stated that students smoke because it helps them
to relax especially during assessments and period
exams.

Literature
Review

Smoking Bans
This is a valuable benefit to having a smoke-free
campus as it poses less risk to the health of
students,
faculty
and
staff,
further
more
associated with a smoke-free campus include a
cleaner environment and healthier air quality .
The effectiveness of a campus-wide smoking ban
is limited, According to the survey, the percentage
of students who agree smoking among students is
acceptable declined between 2007 and 2009 (Seo,
Macy, Torabi, & Middlestadt, 2011).
The disadvantages of a ban on smoking campus
wide would be the burden placed on smokers and
difficulty enforcing the new rule (Berg et al.,

Literature
Review

SEGi Rules for Smoking in Campus

According to the SEGi website, the University
has smoking areas at particular points, there
is a smoking area in the basement and
students are not allowed to smoke in the
building of campus
Many students smoke in at different areas in
the campus, except in the main building,
pathways and the cafe. There is no strict
smoke free policy which is implemented to
caution students about smoking at permitted
or non-permitted areas.

INTRODUCTION
The Questionnaire was issued to 30 SEGi Students
It was designed to measure the following variables

Frequency and Opinions of Smoking

Reasons of Smoking
Views about smoking bans and if any challenge
faced.

Identity of participants remained confidential

Demographic Information
African

Chart Title

Chinese
Middle East
Malaysian
Ethnicity

AGE

Female
Male
Gender
23-25
21-23
18-21
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Smokers Vs Non Smokers

90.00%

80.00% 76.67%

No of Cigarettes
smoked in a day on
campus
Chart Title

76.67% were
smokers
23.33% were
non-smokers

70.00%

45%
39%

60.00%
50.00%
40.00%

10%

30.00%

23.33%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%

6%

The majority
45% smoke 2130 cigarettes a
day on campus

REASONS FOR
SMOKING ON
CAMPUS

STUDENTS
OPINIONS FOR
SMOKING

Stress;
7%
Reasons
of students
smoking; 10%
Peer Influence; 14%

Other/ No Opinion; 6%
Family; 69%

Want to quit; 24%

Addiction; 28%

The Chart shows that the major reason

for smoking is stress 69 % and followed
by family, as inherited
(14%)
Peer influence and culture are very
minor factors contributing to smoking.

Bad Habit; 42%

Overall View About the Smoking Ban

45.00%
40.00%
35.00%

33.33%

30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%

40.00%

23.33%

10.00%
5.00%
0.00%

3.33%

Majority of the
people prefer that
designated areas
should be posed for
the smokers, and
few were against
banning smoking
on campus.
The Least said that
smokers should
undergo
counselling at the
SEGi Clinic.

CONCLUSION
Analysis shows that, major factor contributing to Smoking
is stress and the opinion is that it is seen as an overall.
bad habit

The

number of smokers is more than the number of nonsmokers. The non-smokers feel it is very important that
their university should implement a smoking policy, and
that it be should enforced by the university but since the
number of smokers is greater shows that majority of the
people are smokers and they are strictly opposing against
the policy

Smokers

would prefer to smoke in the designated areas,

rather than a complete ban to smoke on campus, which
will also be better for non-smokers from exposure to