Social smokers' management of conflicted identities: Table 1

Abstract

Although social smokers regret smoking, their retrospective remorse was insufficient to promote behaviour change, and environmental modifications appear more likely to promote smoke-free behaviours among social smokers. Participants strongly supported extending the smoke-free areas outside bars, a measure that would help decouple their alcohol-fuelled behaviours from the identity to which they aspire.

The association of smoking with drinking pattern may provide opportunities to reduce smoking among students

“…However, many occasional smokers in this study did not view themselves as smokers, consistent with other findings (Hoek et al 2013), and current smoking cessation support and treatment may not reach them or meet their needs effectively. Our findings suggest a need for smoking cessation support that is developed for and communicated to this substantial sub-group of young adults.…”

“…Occasional smokers were more likely to smoke with others than were daily smokers, which is consistent with international evidence that smoking begins as a shared social experience, often facilitated by alcohol (Moran et al 2004;Hoek et al 2013). This finding follows a similar trend among young people in the general population (Pierce et al 2009), and university students in the USA (Moran et al 2004).…”

“…Further, drinking alcohol may facilitate smoking uptake (Saules et al 2004;Jiang & Ling 2011;Hoek et al 2013) and increase tobacco consumption among university students. As a precautionary measure, policy makers could address both relationships by disallowing tobacco sales wherever alcohol is consumed and extending the smokefree areas outside bars so dual consumption becomes more difficult in social settings.…”

“…Future research should extend work that has already begun to explore how young smokers view the relationship between their smoking and drinking practices (Hoek et al 2013). Qualitative research could examine how smoking and drinking behaviours evolve, particularly the contexts that support (or deter) these behaviours.…”

“…In 2013, 70% of a New Zealand undergraduate sample reported drinking alcohol in the previous four weeks, and almost two-thirds reported one or more binge drinking episodes in the previous four weeks (Connor et al 2014). Yet while several studies conclude that alcohol consumption and smoking among young adults (Hoek et al 2013) and university students (Jackson et al 2010) are paired behaviours, we know little about how New Zealand students engage in these behaviours. New Zealand's restrictive tobacco marketing environment, where all tobacco advertising and sponsorship is banned under the Smokefree Environments Act, lies in stark contrast to the liberal alcohol marketing and consumption environment (Casswell & Maxwell 2005).…”