Attitude towards tobacco among students in the United Kingdom.

Abstract

Background: The usage of tobacco has increased among United Kingdom (UK) students, along with rapidly growing health concerns among them. Tobacco companies across the world are using different smart marketing strategies to target teenagers who can easily be manipulated in the use of tobacco. It has also been specified that nicotine has a long-lasting effect on the brain development capacity of adolescence. This research paper will help identify the attitude of students towards tobacco.

Methods: The information was gathered using an online questionnaire to a total of 82 respondents, the majority of whom were international students. The target market was LJMU students, and the information was disseminated via the Faculty of Health, who were the gatekeepers.

Results: The use of tobacco among UK students have been reduced significantly as they have been found to consume tobacco related products like cannabis and electronic cigarettes in a limited and controlled manner. The study demonstrated statistical evidence with the help of crosstabulation and chi square analysis using SPSS.

Conclusions: Summarising the challenges and difficulties to reduce the consumption of tobacco, using behavioural therapy to manage students’ smoking and improve alternative behaviours and designing an online and offline tobacco control campaign to create awareness, has been suggested. Additionally, an open communication area by using the 'National Tobacco Control Programme' to recognise the personal issues of students as well as implementing ICT tools with software programs has also been recommended to improve students' healthy life living objectives.