In contemporary societies, particularly among younger populations, addiction emerges as a significant social issue. Cigarette use and nicotine addiction—behaviors that pose a threat to future generations and are widely targeted by societies for prevention and control—have become increasingly important concerns. The growing number of young individuals who engage in cigarette smoking, along with the serious health problems this behavior causes, positions cigarette use and addiction as major public health issues. Therefore, in order to implement preventive and protective services targeting youth and to develop effective intervention programs, it is essential to understand and identify the usage patterns of cigarette consumption among young people. Within this framework, the present study aims to reveal the behavioral patterns of cigarette use among young smokers attending university. The research sample consisted of 656 university students. Participants were administered a questionnaire composed of both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The data show that participants smoke between 1 and 60 cigarettes per day (M = 16). Their age at first cigarette ranges from 7 to 28 years (M = 16.95). At the time they started smoking, 72.30 % reported having at least one family member who smoked, and 32.20 % identified friends or the peer group as the primary reason for initiation. Since they began smoking, 67.40 % have increased their cigarette consumption. Although 52.90 % have attempted to quit, they were unsuccessful; among those, 27.60 % attributed failure to the influence of their peer group and 25.60 % to a lack of willpower. Metaphorically, the young people most often described cigarettes as “love” (10 %), “food” (7.50 %), “water” (5.4 %), and a “toxic relationship” (3.9 %). These results indicate that the primary , middle , and university level years constitute critical periods for smoking initiation. The presence of a smoking family member and peer relationships emerge as key determinants of cigarette use. Likewise, peer influence and low self efficacy appear to be major barriers to cessation attempts. The findings underscore the need for family focused programmes that address modelling and attitudes toward smoking; school based preventive and protective interventions across all educational levels; youth empowerment cessation initiatives that strengthen self confidence and coping skills. Such multi layered strategies are once again shown to be vital in tackling this public health challenge.

Acknowledgement:
This work has been supported by Anadolu University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit under grant number 2500.

Keywords: Smoking addiction, nicotine addiction, university student.