Traditional smoking and e-smoking among medical students and students-athletes – popularity and motivation

Background
Of particular interest is a study of the consumption rates of some psychoactive drugs in a specific group of medical students and students-athletes, who are advocates of a healthy lifestyle according to their occupation.

Objectives
The purpose of this paper was the evaluation of the prevalence of tobacco smoking and e-cigarette smoking (vaping) among medical students and students-athletes and the research of students’ motivation and attitudes towards smoking in its various forms.

Material and methods
1,725 medical students and students-athletes were surveyed. All the respondents were divided into 4 groups: exclusive tobacco smokers, exclusive e-cigarette smokers, dual smokers (both e-cigarette and tobacco cigarette users), non-smoking students who hadn’t smoked for at least 12 months.

Results
1,515 of the surveyed students (87.8%) declared themselves as non-smokers, 160 (9.3%) respondents smoked traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes were used much less often than traditional cigarettes – 50 respondents (2.8%). One-time tobacco smoking was recorded in the medical history of 992 (57.5%) of students; e-smoking – 780 (45.2%). Statistically, men appeared to have been twice as common as women among both tobacco and e-cigarette smokers. Dual smokers used traditional cigarettes less often than electronic cigarettes. This group more often chose e-liquid with a higher level of nicotine. An attempt to stop smoking was the most important stimulus of opting for vaping (90.5%).

Conclusions
Among the students of both groups, vaping is not frequent and not a popular practice compared to traditional tobacco smoking. Everyday smokers prevailed among dual smokers and not among exclusive e-cigarette smokers. E-smokers, more often than other respondents, believe that vaping is safe for their health and the health of others.