The Attitudes of College Students on Public Smoking Policy and the

Associated Stigma

By: Melissa Dumas

Abstract: This study aims to understand the effects of the stigma surrounding

smoking tobacco and its influence on public smoking policy.

There are many stigmas surrounding smoking, including, but not limited

to, premature death, harm to health conditions of others from secondhand

smoke, low socio-economic status, and assumptions that smokers

are unclean as far as hygiene goes. This stigma influences how public

smoking policy is shaped. An online survey was used to poll 102

Radford University students. Preliminary results show that a signifi-

cant number of respondents have negative attitudes towards smokers

in aspects regarding beauty, intelligence, popularity, excitement and

desires to be alone. In conclusion, there seems to be a significant amount

of Radford university students who desire more public smoking policy

restrictions. If the opportunity exists to enact more stringent policies

about smoking on campus or in local public eateries, bars and buildings,

students, on average, would support them.