Using the Web To Promote Smoking Cessation and Health for College-Aged Women.

Col, Nananda F.; Fortin, Jennifer M.; Weber, Griffin; Braithwaite, R. Scott; Bowman, Stacie A.; Kim, Jung A.; Lyons, Jennifer L.; Dibble, Emily

Smoking among college students is on the rise, particularly among women and minorities. This paper explores smoking among college women, reviews different types of smoking cessation interventions, and describes a newly developed interactive Web site that combines tailored smoking cessation information with other health information in an attempt to reduce smoking among college-age women. A recent survey of about 14,000 college students found that almost half of them used tobacco products in the last year, and one third currently use tobacco products. Twenty-eight percent of college smokers started smoking regularly in college. College women are more likely to smoke regularly and have difficulty quitting than are college men. Young women who smoke face more health risks than do men. In addition to the risks of heart, lung, and kidney disease, women face smoking-related pregnancy risks, an increased risk of blood clots associated with birth control pills, increased risk for cervical cancer, and an increased risk of breast cancer, among other risks. This paper suggests that the media may play some role in helping tobacco companies to target women and ethnic minorities. Students have demonstrated a lack of interest in campus cessation programs. Three-fourths of young Internet users (15-24 years) have used the Internet to search for health information. (Contains 50 references.) (Author/NB)