A Comparative Descriptive Study on Tobacco and Alcohol Use Patterns in a Turkish Foundation University

Introduction: Tobacco and alcohol are prevalent risk behaviours on university campuses, yet comparative evidence for students versus staff in Türkiye is limited. We described prevalence, age of initiation, use motives, and co-use patterns, and derived actionable implications for campus policy and practice.
Methods: A cross-sectional, campus-wide online survey was conducted between November 2024 and May 2025 at a Turkish foundation university with the students and staff. Measures included use status, age of initiation, frequency, quit attempts, and use motives (dependence/routine, coping with negative affect, enhancement, social). A composite co-use score (0–2: neither/one/both) summarised concurrent tobacco–alcohol use. Group differences were tested at α=0.05. Results: The study included 370 individuals: 230 students and 167 staff. Students reported higher tobacco and alcohol use and earlier initiation than staff (all p<0.05). Co-use was more frequent among males. Students more often endorsed coping and enhancement motives, whereas staff relatively more often cited social reasons for drinking. Discussion and Conclusion: Findings support implementing smoke-free/nicotine-free campus policies, strengthening campus-based cessation services, and integrating peer-support and wellbeing programmes that address stress-related motives, alongside routine monitoring and evaluation. Interpretation should consider convenience sampling, single-site design, self-report data, and the coarse nature of the co-use indicator.

Keywords: Alcohol; Tobacco; Tobacco–alcohol co-use; University students.