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5.8% of ASU students reported they had smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days.
12.7% of ASU students reported using electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days (vaping).
Excluding vaping, 9.0% of ASU students reported some form of tobacco use during the previous 30 days.
ASU is a Tobacco-Free Campus
Tobacco Free Policy as of July 2019
Smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco products, including all electronic smoking devices, are prohibited in or on all university owned property, leased property, facilities, grounds, parking structures (including in privately owned vehicles) and university-owned vehicles.
Exceptions are privately owned vehicles (on public roads), and leased university residences that have been designated as smoking.
Reference: American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment: Arizona State University Spring 2019. Baltimore: American College Health Association; Spring 2019 (n=2,096)
It is no secret that cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Yet, tobacco use can lead to dependence. Many people try multiple times to quit using tobacco products. Today there are effective treatments and resources for quitting.
In adults who have never smoked, secondhand smoke can cause heart disease and/or lung cancer.
Social smokers light up regularly but not daily. They only have a cigarette when they go out with friends and drink. They think, "I will smoke a little in social situations and quit later." The facts about social smoking include:
Some people believe that smoking hookah is safer than smoking cigarettes because the hookah smoke is filtered through water before it is inhaled. The truth is smoking hookah has the same risks as smoking cigarettes. Hookah smokers actually inhale more nicotine than do cigarette smokers because of the massive volume of smoke they inhale. Also, the smoke produced still contains high level of toxic compounds and carcinogens.
How many times have you vowed to start exercising, eat healthier, get more sleep, reduce stress or quit using tobacco without taking any action toward your goals? Or slipped back into engaging in unhealthy habits after experiencing some life challenges and disruptions? Behavior change is a process that occurs in several stages. Understanding the stages of behavior change and determining where you are in the process will help you successfully move from one stage to another, change your behavior and live a healthy lifestyle.
The Stages of Change, also known as the Transtheoretical Model, features six stages – precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and termination. While individuals can progress through the stages in a linear fashion, often individuals recycle through the stages. Most often, individuals start with the action stage and end up not reaching their goals due to not thinking about their behavior long enough or preparing to change. Each Stage of Change has certain characteristics and a variety of strategies to utilize to help you successfully move from one stage to another.
To learn more about Stages of Change, view the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change video and review the book Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward.
Prepare to be Tobacco-free
Quitting tobacco is a process that occurs over time with hard work and commitment. Living tobacco-free is an important component of a healthy lifestyle and offers many health benefits. Understanding stress, surrounding yourself with support, utilizing resources, awareness of thoughts and emotions, embracing new habits and expanding your coping skills now and in the future will give you the strength to continue to fork the smoke!
Become familiar with quitting resources that can support your success.These can be found in the resources tab, below.
Do you know a friend or family member who is trying to quit tobacco? You can play an important role in helping someone you know become tobacco-free.
A great resource for information on how to help someone else quit using tobacco is at smokefree.gov.
Become familiar with quitting resources that support their success. These can be found in the resources tab, below.
Provides a guide to help you better understand your tobacco use, figure out if you need to change your habits, and decide the best way to change. If you are concerned about your smoking, this guide is for you. Provided through the Division on Addictions, Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
Quitting resources for students
Quitting resources for faculty and staff
Community and national quit partners
ASU's tobacco-free policy: ACD 804-Tobacco-Free Campus