title: Assessment of perception of medical students in regard to links between tobacco or alcohol use and cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess cancer awareness among medical students in Saudi Arabia toward tobacco and alcohol use as risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey from October to December 2014, covering 1200 medical students, was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total, 975 (81.25%) responded. The male to female ratio was 1.00:7.125. 96/975 (9.8%) had smoked tobacco in their lifetime, and 51/975 (5.23%) were alcoholic beverage consumers. On asking them whether tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption can cause cancer, only 4/975 (0.4%) and 14/975 (1.43%) answered no for smoking and alcohol, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of smoking and alcohol use is very low among medical students, which might be due to high female contribution besides social stigma. The prevalence of second-hand smoke (SHS) was found to be very high in Hail region.
authors: College of Applied Medical Science, University of Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia E-mail : hussaingad1972@yahoo.com.
authors: Fawaz Dabea
authors: FD
authors: Alshammari
authors: Amany M
authors: AM
authors: Khalifa
authors: Ayman Ahmed
authors: AA
authors: Kosba
authors: Nuhar A
authors: NA
authors: Khalil
authors: Safia M
authors: SM
authors: Ali
authors: Mona M
authors: MM
authors: Hassouna
authors: Gamal Mohamed
authors: GM
authors: Elawad
authors: Ibrahim Abdelmajeed
authors: IA
authors: Ginaw
authors: Hussain Gadelkarim
authors: HG
authors: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution