title: A closer look at smoking among young adults: where tobacco control should focus its attention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to fill gaps in knowledge of smoking behaviors among college-educated and non-college-educated young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the 2003 Tobacco Use Supplement of the Current Population Survey to analyze smoking behaviors among young adults aged 18-24 years and older young adults aged 25-34 years by college status (enrolled, or with a degree, but not enrolled) and other measures of socioeconomic position.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Current smoking prevalence among US young adults aged 18-24 years who are not enrolled in college or who do not have a college degree was 30%. This was more than twice the current smoking prevalence among college-educated young adults (14%). Non-college-educated young adults were more likely than were college-educated young adults to start smoking at a younger age and were less likely to have made a quit attempt, although no differences were found in their intentions to quit. Higher rates of smoking in the non-college-educated population were also evident in the slightly older age group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-college-educated young adults smoke at more than twice the rate of their college-educated counterparts. Targeted prevention and cessation efforts are needed for non-college-educated young adults to prevent excess morbidity and mortality in later years.
authors.affiliation: American Legacy Foundation, Washington, DC 20036, USA. mgreen@americanlegacy.org
authors.forename: Molly P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Kristen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: McCausland
authors.forename: Haijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Duke
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Vallone
authors.forename: Cheryl G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Healton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology