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Tobacco Use Among University Students -------------------. Edward P. Ehlinger, MD, MSPH Director and Chief Health Officer Boynton Health Service University of Minnesota. Ruth Boynton, MD. Director of Division of Child Hygiene at MDH 1922-1927 Director Student Health Service 1936-1961
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Tobacco Use Among University Students------------------- Edward P. Ehlinger, MD, MSPH Director and Chief Health Officer Boynton Health Service University of Minnesota
Ruth Boynton, MD • Director of Division of Child Hygiene at MDH 1922-1927 • Director Student Health Service 1936-1961 • First Dean of the School of Public Health (Gaylord Anderson was on military assignment) • First MCH Director in School of Public Health • President of Minnesota State Board of Health 1945
Antoine de Saint-Exupery • Born on June 29, 1900 in Lyon, France • Worked as a mechanic to become a pilot • Came to US after Germany defeated France in 1939 • Returned to France in 1942 as a fighter pilot • Shot down July 31, 1944
Antoine de Saint-ExuperyThe Little Prince • I have so much to do! I am concerned with matters of consequence. • It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye. • The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupery • If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. • A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral. • As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.
Recent Smoking Trends AmongMinnesota 12th Graders Source: MN Student Survey
Nationally: Smoking among young adults now equals that of older adults Source: CDC – National Health Interview Survey
Tobacco use is on the rise among college students 18 – 24 years of age
Frequent use is higher among femalesInfrequent use is higher among males
Over half of tobacco users in college begin using after age 18
Findings • A large number of U of MN students use tobacco • The rates of tobacco use among U of MN students are increasing dramatically • Most students first try tobacco after age 18 • Male and female U of MN students differ in how they use tobacco
Why is this happening? • Are prevention programs ineffective? • Have young adults become resistant to prevention messages? • Have we ignored this group with our prevention efforts? • Are tobacco companies now targeting this age group?
What needs to be done?More research • Why do college students use tobacco? • What influences students to begin to use tobacco? • What are the implications of infrequent tobacco use? • What are effective prevention strategies? • What are effective cessation strategies?
What needs to be done?Better services • Prevention/cessation programs • Social marketing campaigns • Clinical preventive services • Peer education programs
Bottom Line • The epidemiology of tobacco use has changed. • College/University students need to be a priority for research and programming on tobacco use cessation and prevention.