Knowledge, attitude and behaviours of the students at Çukurova University about law of tobacco control and their status of smoking

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of tobacco use among university students, their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to the "Tobacco Control Law" which is still in force. Material and Method: The universe of our study consists of undergraduate students studying at Çukurova University in the 2018-2019 academic year. The faculties of science, social sciences and health sciences were included in the study. These three faculties were obtained by random sampling. The data were obtained through a questionnaire. The questionnaires were applied in the classrooms of the students by first explaining and then distributing. Data were entered into the computer environment and the relationship between variables was examined. Parametric and nonparametric conditions were analyzed accordingly. Statistical significance level was accepted as p <0.05. Findings: A total of 1412 university students studying at Çukurova University were included in the study. The mean age of the students who participated in our study was 21.78 ± 2.811 (min: 16, max: 57). 400 of the students stated that they were still using tobacco or tobacco products and 326 (23.0%) of them were smoking cigarettes. The age of the parents of the students who smoked was significantly higher than the age of the parents of non-smokers. Among smokers, the percentage of smokers among their friends and in their living environment was significantly higher than those of non-smokers. 43.2% of the respondents stated that the Tobacco Control Act was not implemented. Conclusion: 88% of the students started smoking before university. Therefore, the fight against smoking should be started before adolescents and youth encounter smoking. The awareness of the scope and sanctions of the Tobacco Control Act is very low. Training programs on the Tobacco Control Act should be organized. Keywords: Cigarette use, university students, tobacco control act