The Level of Awareness of Hazards of Smoking amongst Students

Elina Pasha Azam Ali Toor Hira Azhar Nida Saleem Jawad Farasat

Author Note

We are the students of Masters in Business Administration from Lahore Business School, University of Lahore

Executive Summary

There are a number of different leading universities in Lahore offering diverse courses and education in almost all the fields. We intend to conduct a research from students of different faculties such as faculties of Law, Medical, Business Studies, Media Studies and Computer Sciences. Some of the universities we hope to visit include University of Lahore, Lahore School of Economics, University of Central Punjab, and CMH Lahore Medical College.

We are writing this research paper to analyze the level of awareness of hazards of smoking amongst the students and to determine their level of willingness to educate themselves in this regard. We intend to cover different aspects of how this habit finds its way amongst the youth and how they would benefit with the proper knowledge and eventually cater to future risks.

Problem Statement Smoking cigarettes is considered more of a style statement than an actual problem of concern for most people and therefore it is very difficult to actually make them understand the negative effect it may have on their health. The problem of this study is to impose the importance of awareness of hazards of smoking amongst the youth and to identify and educate the potentially susceptible youth.

Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to identify the level of awareness of hazards of smoking amongst the students of various universities and to determine how many students are actually willing to educate them-selves and take the first steps to make the society a better place. This paper also

aims to highlight the effects of sheesha smoking and determine how being educated about these facts can reduce the number of smoking youth in Pakistan.

Variables to be studied Awareness of hazards of smoking amongst students Educational Background Domestic Environment Financial Background

Research Objectives The topic of smoking is something that not many students like to discuss, mainly due to fear of parents finding out. Although cigarette is by law, not allowed to be purchased under the age of 18, however children as young as 14 years are also seen smoking. The objective of this research paper is to educate the students so future precautions can be administered. Identify the different impacts of cigarette smoking and Sheesha smoking on the health Make sure that students understand the implications of regularly smoking; chain smokers Distinguish the awareness of students based on their cultural and family backgrounds To offer a few suggestions that can overcome the communication gap and educate the youth to avoid this problem in the future

It is very important for the youth to understand the importance of educating themselves in this aspect because the nations future lies in their hands, and they need to be aware of how to tread carefully.

Literature Review 1. Smoking Prevalence and Awareness Among Undergraduate and Health Care Students The American Journal on Addictions 17: 181186, 2008 Abstract (Morrell, Cohen, & Dempsey, 2008) Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Nearly a quarter of the population smokes and approximately 438,000 deaths per year are related to smokingrelated illnesses. Despite public health efforts to reduce tobacco use, prevalence rates have not changed significantly and, in some cases, have increased. In addition to health problems, smoking also has a significant fiscal impact, with tobacco-related medical expenses estimated at $75.5 billion annually. These harsh personal and economic costs have prompted a significant amount of research focused on gaining a better understanding of the addictive nature of cigarette smoking. The hope is that new information may help health care professionals to improve smoking prevention and cessation programs. Primary care clinicians (eg, physicians and nurses) are on the front lines of smoking prevention and cessation efforts, given the large number of cigarette smokers who visit primary care clinics each year.

2. Awareness of Diseases Caused by Passive Smoking among Students Studying at Collegiate Level International Journal of Educational Research and Technology Volume 2, Issue 2, December 2011: 12 - 15 ISSN 0976-4089 Journals URL: www.soeagra.com/ijert.htm Abstract (Devanesan & Selvan, 2011)

The major objectives of the study are find out the awareness on passive smoking and to increase the students awareness on passive smoking. The research method used in this study is normative survey method and the sampling procedure used is simple random sampling. The reliability value is found to be 0.7 and the logical validity is established. The percentage analysis and differential analysis were used. The important finding reveals that the students have awareness and their awareness level is just above is average level. Rural male students, private college students have more awareness than other college students. Therefore, the study suggested that more awareness program must be conducted for college students. Passive smoking is called as second hand tobacco smoke. Which can also cause similar damage or more damage to non-smokers than smokers? In fact, if one is exposed to outdoor passive smoking create more dangerous condition to non smokers or passive smokers.

3. Motivational Factors of Smoking among the Students: A Survey of Kohat University European Journal of Social Sciences Volume 18, Number 1 (2010) Abstract (Motivational Factors of Smoking among the Students: A Survey of Kohat University, 2010) The main objective of the study was to identify the motivational factors of smoking amongst the students of Kohat University. All the students of Kohat University comprised the sample of the study. A sample of 300 male students was selected through random sampling. The data were collected through a close-ended questionnaire, which consisted seven items related to students smoking status and those motivational factors that carried the habit of smoking. The update data were collected from the respondents and interpreted using logistic regression model. It was

concluded that the availability of cigarettes in the open market made the students to smoke, as there was no restriction on them regarding the use of cigarettes. Students were not properly aware about the harmful effects of smoking and smoke as a symbol of elite class.

Research Design Demographics and Sample Unit We will restrict the demographics of the research to the students of three of four leading universities of Lahore. The sample units will differ on the basis of type, area and level of education, their family and cultural backgrounds and domestic environment. Sample Size Sample size of fifteen students (10 smoking and 5 non-smoking students) Interview of one Doctor about the long term effects of smoking on the health

Research Methodology For the purpose of conducting this research paper we intend to collect both primary and secondary data. In this research we want to explore how students refuse to address smoking as a serious problem and the implications it has on their health and the health of others around them. We will also determine how much education can actually contribute towards awareness and reduction in the number of smokers. Primary Data Collection For collecting the primary data we intend to cover two different sources; students and a doctor. We will prepare questionnaires and distribute them accordingly amongst students and conduct a small interview with the doctor.

Secondary Data Collection We will collect the secondary data from websites, journal articles, and newspapers, the library, magazines and the internet.

Data Analysis As per the theme paper to enter and analyze the data, Microsoft Excel 2007 and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) were used. Data obtained were evaluated by frequency and percentage ratios and Chi-square (X2) test. We intend to follow along the same lines.

Expected Findings Through this research we expect to determine the level of awareness of hazards of smoking amongst the students of different universities and cross reference the educational and cultural backgrounds of said students with domestic environment. We expect to find some variance in the smoking habits of students belonging to different class of societies and the leading cause of developing the said habit. We intend to identify those students who are willing to give up this habit and determine if a little education and awareness can actually make them leave this habit. We also hope to find interest and motivation towards positive response of students wanting to be educated.