Examining the correlates of cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use and dual use among Canadian post-secondary students.

Many Canadians use nicotine products such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. A particular subpopulation of concern is post-secondary students given they have a higher prevalence of use. Many correlates of cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use have been identified. However, less focus has been on examining the correlates of cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use and dual use. This study explores the correlates of different nicotine modality use in post-secondary students. Using data from the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey (CCWS; n = 27,164), a multi-level nominal regression assessed the correlates of nicotine modality use. In comparison to individuals who were <20, individuals 20-24 (OR = .448, 95% CI .321, .625), 25-29 (OR = .140, 95% CI .093, .212), 30-34 (OR = .076, 95% CI .046, .125) and over 35 (OR = .041, 95% CI .024, .071) had lower odds of e-cigarette use compared to cigarette smoking. Identifying as a woman (OR = 1.553, 95% CI 1.202, 2.006), non-heterosexual (OR = .642, 95% CI = .485,0.851), current cannabis user (OR = 1.651, 95% CI 1.296, 2.104), and being an international student (OR = .350, 95% CI .251, .487) also impacted the odds of e-cigarette use vs only cigarette smoking. When considering dual use vs cigarette smoking, individuals aged 20-24 (OR = .491, 95% CI .337, .717), 25-29 (OR = .221, 95% CI .137, .357), 30-34 (OR = .163, 95% CI .091, .292) and over 35 (OR = .122, 95% CI .065, .230) had lower odds than individuals <20. Current cannabis use (OR = 1.680, 95% CI = 1.209, 2.138), binge drinking (OR = 1.885, 95% CI 1.384, 2.568), and international student status (OR = .689, 95% CI .476, .996) also impacted cigarette smoking vs dual-use. Overall, a minority of young adults (11.5%) at post-secondary institutions in our sample use nicotine products, and the higher prevalence of e-cigarette use warrants continued monitoring. Health promotion campaigns addressing e-cigarette use are required. Additionally, tailored intervention efforts could prioritize the treatment needs of international students studying in Canada.

Assessing Support for Policy Actions With Co-Benefits for Climate Change and Physical Activity in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Calls to action addressing the interconnections between physical (in)activity and the climate crisis are increasing. The current study aimed to investigate public support for policy actions that potentially have co-benefits for physical activity promotion and climate change mitigation. METHODS: In 2023, a survey through the Angus Reid Forum was completed by 2507 adults living in Canada. Binary logistic regressions were conducted. Separate models were created to reflect support or opposition to the 8 included policy items. Several covariates were included in the models including age, gender, political orientation, physical activity levels, income, urbanicity climate anxiety, and attitudes surrounding physical activity and climate change. The data were weighted to reflect the gender, age, and regional composition of the country. RESULTS: Most individuals living in Canada strongly or moderately supported all actions (ranging from 71% to 85%). Meeting the physical activity guidelines, higher self-reported income, and scoring high on personal experience of climate change were associated with higher odds of supporting the policy actions related to climate actions. CONCLUSIONS: Most adults living in Canada support policies that align with the recommended policy actions related to physical activity and climate change. National campaigns enhancing awareness and understanding of the bidirectional relationship between physical activity and climate change are warranted, and these should consider the consistent demographic differences (eg, gender, age, and political orientation) seen in public support for physical activity-related policies.

Re-assessing the social climate of physical (in)activity in Canada.

Social-ecological models suggest that a strategy for increasing population physical activity participation is to reconstruct the "social climate" through changing social norms and beliefs about physical activity (PA). In this study, we assessed whether the PA social climate in Canada has changed over a five-year period after controlling for sociodemographic factors and PA levels. Replicating a survey administered in 2018, a sample of adults in Canada (n = 2,507) completed an online survey assessing social climate dimensions, including but not limited to descriptive and injunctive norms. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and binary logistic regressions were conducted to assess the associations of sociodemographic factors and year of the survey with social climate dimensions. Results suggest some social climate constructs are trending in a positive direction between 2018 and 2023. Physical inactivity was considered a serious public health concern by 49% of respondents, second to unhealthy diets (52%). Compared to those who participated in the 2018 survey, participants in 2023 were less likely to see others walking or wheeling in their neighbourhood (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.41, 1.78), but more likely to see people exercising (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.92) and kids playing in their neighbourhood (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.85). No changes were reported between 2018 and 2023 in individuals' perceptions of whether physical inactivity is due to individual versus external factors (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.13). The findings of this work indicate a modest positive shift in some measured components of the social climate surrounding PA although attributing causes for these changes remain speculative.

Lonely but not alone: Examining correlates of loneliness among Canadian post-secondary students.

Objective: Loneliness is increasingly acknowledged as a public health concern due to its association with morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of loneliness is highest in the post-secondary population. Understanding the correlates of loneliness may assist in developing policy and program interventions. Participants and Methods: Post-secondary students (n = 28,975) from the Winter 2022 Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey (CCWS) cycle. A multi-level logistic regression controlling for the institution was built to determine how demographic, health behaviors, mental health and institutional level factors are associated with loneliness. Results: The prevalence of loneliness was 31% in our sample. Demographic (e.g., gender, sexual orientation, social economic status), health behaviors (e.g., physical activity and substance use), mental health (e.g., mental distress and social support) and institutional factors (e.g., college or university institution) impacted the odds of reporting loneliness (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings suggest loneliness might require greater attention by institutional staff and administrators.

Urinary tract infection following intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxina injection for non-neurogenic urgency incontinence: single- vs. multi-dose prophylactic antibiotic treatment regimens.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Urinary tract infection is one of the most common adverse events following onabotulinumtoxinA injection for urgency incontinence. Our hypothesis was that those undergoing injection for urgency incontinence who received more than one dose of prophylactic antibiotics have lower post-procedure urinary tract infection rates compared to those who receive a single dose. METHODS: We conducted a multi-center retrospective cohort study in females who underwent onabotulinumtoxinA injection for non-neurogenic urgency incontinence to evaluate the effect of single- vs. multi-dose prophylactic antibiotic regimens on the risk of post-procedure urinary tract infection. The primary outcome was the rate of urinary tract infection within 30 days of injection. Our sample size calculation required 136 subjects per group. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-one patients were included from four centers. The single-dose cohort included 145 patients (51.6%), and the multi-dose cohort included 136 patients (48.4%). The mean age was 65 years, and patients were primarily Caucasian (81.4%). There was no difference in the rate of urinary tract infections diagnosed within 30 days of injection between the cohorts (single dose 13.8% vs. multi-dose 10.3%, p = 0.369). Those with a positive urine culture within 30 days of injection had a 15.2 times greater odds of having a post-procedure infection than those who did not (95% CI 3.19-72.53). There was no significant difference between the two cohorts in terms of adverse health events following injection. CONCLUSIONS: In females with non-neurogenic urgency incontinence undergoing onabotulinumtoxinA injection, multi-dose prophylactic antibiotic regimens were not associated with lower post-procedure urinary tract infection rates.

Physical activity and substance use among Canadian adolescents: Examining the moderating role of school connectedness.

Physical activity may play a role in promoting or preventing substance use among youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between different types of physical activity [i.e., non-competitive school sport, competitive school sport, outside of school sport and minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day] and substance use (i.e., current smoking, e-cigarette, cannabis, binge drinking) among Canadian youth. Interaction effects between physical activity and school connectedness were also examined. Using data from the COMPASS study (2018-19; n = 73,672), four multi-level logistic regression models were developed to investigate whether physical activity lessened or worsened the odds of (1) smoking; (2) e-cigarette use; (3) cannabis use; and (4) binge drinking. Models were stratified by gender to reflect the inherent differences between genders. Models were adjusted for demographic factors and other covariates. Sport participation was consistently associated with substance use, whereas less evidence was found for meeting MVPA guidelines. Non-competitive school sport lessened the odds of cannabis use for males and females. However, non-competitive school sport only lessened the odds of e-cigarette use for females but increased the odds of binge drinking for males. Participation in competitive school sport lessened the odds of cigarette smoking but increased the odds of e-cigarette use and binge drinking for males and females. Outside of school sport lessened the odds of cigarette smoking and cannabis use but increased the odds of e-cigarette use and binge drinking for males and females. A significant moderation effect was found for males participating in sport outside of school and meeting MVPA guidelines who were at a lower risk of e-cigarette use in the presence of high levels of school connectedness. Our study provides evidence for further consideration and provision of extracurricular activities, specifically non-competitive sport, in protecting against substance use. Caution is required in claiming that sport participation or physical activity, in general, is negatively associated with substance use among youth.

Comparing global and local maps of the Caribbean pine forests of Andros, home of the critically endangered Bahama Oriole.

Forest loss is occurring at alarming rates across the globe. The pine rockland forests of Andros, The Bahamas, likely represent some of the largest stands of Bahamian subspecies of Caribbean pine in the world. Given the unique species that inhabit these pine forests, such as the endemic and critically endangered Bahama Oriole, monitoring habitats on Andros is crucial to inform conservation planning. We developed a 2019 land classification map to assess the status of nine terrestrial habitats on Andros. Our Random Forest classification model predicted habitat classes with high overall accuracy. Caribbean pine was the dominant land class making up roughly one-third of the total terrestrial area. Whereas much of the pine forest area was found as small patches, most were close to other patches of pine suggesting isolation of forest patches is low. We compared our known intact forest areas to recent forest loss identified by the Hansen et al. Global Forest Change product and assessed areas of habitat disturbance in high-resolution imagery. Our results suggest that this global map overpredicted forest loss on Andros. The small degree of true forest loss on Andros was driven mostly by anthropogenic activity. A cross-tabulation of the Hansen forest loss with fire data showed that understory fires were frequently associated with falsely classified deforestation. Given the threats of climate change to this open forest type-intensifying fire regimes, strengthening hurricanes, and sea level rise-monitoring changes in open forest extent is a critical task across the Caribbean region and the world.

Altered levels of interleukins and neurotrophic growth factors in mood disorders and suicidality: an analysis from periphery to central nervous system.

Interleukins and neurotrophins levels are altered in the periphery of patients with major depression and suicidal behavior, however it is not clear if similar abnormalities occur in the central nervous system. Our objective was to examine the association of IL-6, IL-1ß, BDNF, and GDNF levels between postmortem plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and brain tissue in a heterogeneous diagnostic subject groups including normal controls, mood disorders only, mood disorders with AUD/SUD (alcohol abuse disorder, substance abuse disorder), and AUD/SUD without mood disorders. To address these questions we collected postmortem plasma (n = 29), CSF (n = 28), and brain (BA10) (n = 57) samples from individuals with mood disorder, mood disorder with AUD/SUD, AUD/SUD and normal controls. These samples were analyzed using a multiplex based luminex assay with a customized 4-plex cytokine/interleukins- IL-6, IL-1ß, BDNF, and GDNF human acute phase based on xMAP technology platform. Protein levels were determined using a Luminex 200 instrument equipped with Xponent-analyzing software. We observed IL-6 (p = 2.1e-07), and GDNF (p = 0.046) were significantly correlated between brain and CSF. In addition, IL-6 (p = 0.031), were significantly correlated between brain and plasma. Overall diagnostic group analysis showed a significant difference with brain GDNF, p = 0.0106. Pairwise comparisons showed that GDNF level is-39.9 ± 12 pg/ml, p = 0.0106, was significantly higher than in the brains derived from mood disorders compared to normal controls, -23.8 ± 5.5 pg/ml, p = 0.034. Brain BDNF was higher in suicide (p = 0.0023), males compared to females (p = 0.017), and psychiatric medication treated vs. non-treated (p = 0.005) individuals. Overall, we demonstrate that blood IL-6, GDNF and BDNF could be informative peripheral biomarkers of brain biology associated with mood disorders, substance disorders, and suicide.

Strange Days: Adult Physical Activity and Mental Health in the First Two Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: In addition to its physical health benefits, physical activity is increasingly recognized as a means to support mental health. Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with improved mental well-being, reduced likelihood of developing mental illness, and improved symptom management. Despite these benefits, most people fail to achieve minimum recommended levels of MVPA. Population levels of physical activity have further declined since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of public health measures (e.g., shelter-in-place protocols). The potential impact of this decline on mental heath outcomes warrants ongoing investigation. Purpose: To investigate associations between changes in MVPA and mental health (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and life satisfaction) in adults impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Research followed a cross-sectional design. English-speaking adults were invited to complete an online questionnaire. MVPA was assessed retrospectively (before COVID-19) and currently (during COVID-19) with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Mental health was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-Item (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder, 7-Item (GAD-7), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Regression was used to assess relationships between MVPA and mental health. ANOVA with follow-up tests examined whether participants who differed in mental health status (e.g., no symptoms vs. severe symptoms) differed in their change in MVPA. T-tests were used to examine differences in mental health symptomatology between participants who were sufficiently (i.e., achieving MVPA guidelines of ≥ 150 min/week) vs. insufficiently active. Results: Prior to COVID-19, 68.2% of participants were classified as being sufficiently active, vs. 60.6% during COVID-19. The majority of participants reported experiencing some level of depressive symptoms (62.0%) or anxiety symptoms (53.7%). After controlling for covariates, changes in MVPA accounted for significant variability in the PHQ-9 (7.7%), GAD-7 (2.5%), and SWLS (1.5 %). Participants with clinically significant mental health symptomatology reported greater declines in MVPA than those who reported no symptoms. Conversely, participants who were sufficiently active during COVID-19 reported significantly lower depression and anxiety, and higher life satisfaction. Conclusion: Participants who experienced the greatest declines in MVPA reported relatively greater psychological distress and lower life satisfaction. While preliminary, these findings suggest the importance of maintaining and promoting physical activity during a period of pandemic.

The Energy to Smoke: Examining the Longitudinal Association between Beverage Consumption and Smoking and Vaping Behaviours among Youth in the COMPASS Study.

This study examined the longitudinal association between changes in sugar-sweetened and/or caffeinated beverage consumption and smoking/vaping behaviour among Canadian adolescents. Using longitudinal data from the COMPASS study (2015/16 to 2017/18), four models were developed to investigate whether beverage consumption explained variability in smoking and vaping behaviour in adolescence: (1) smoking initiation, (2) vaping initiation, (3) current smoking status, and (4) current vaping status. Models were adjusted for demographic factors. Multinomial logit models were used for model 1, 2, and 3. A binary logistic regression model was used for model 4. An association between change in frequency of beverage consumption and smoking/vaping behaviour was identified in all models. A one-day increase in beverage consumption was associated with smoking initiation (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.51), vaping initiation (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.32), identifying as a current smoker (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.35), and currently vaping (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.11). Change in high-energy drink consumption was the best predictor of smoking behaviours and vaping initiation but not current vaping status. Given the health consequences of smoking and vaping and their association with high-energy drink and coffee consumption, policy initiatives to prevent smoking/vaping initiation, and to limit youth access to these beverages, warrant consideration.

Potential impacts of COVID-19 on tropical forest recovery.

COVID-19 has impacted humanity and the global environment in myriad ways, and more changes are on the horizon. Here we consider the impact of COVID-19 on our collective ability to restore degraded habitats and facilitate forest recovery in the tropics.

Coffee and cigarettes: Examining the association between caffeinated beverage consumption and smoking behaviour among youth in the COMPASS study.

In adults, coffee, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and high energy drink consumption have been related to increases in risky behaviour, including smoking. However, these associations are not well understood during adolescence. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between beverage consumption and smoking behaviour among Canadian adolescents. Using data from the COMPASS study (2016-2017; n = 46,957), four models were developed to investigate whether beverage consumption explained variability in smoking behaviour in adolescence (age = 15.7 ±â€¯1.2 yrs); 1) smoking status; 2) e-cigarette use status; 3) days smoking cigarettes per month; and 4) days using an e-cigarette per month. Models were adjusted for demographic factors. Logistic (models 1 and 2) and ordinal logistic (models 3 and 4) were used for analysis. An association between the frequency of SSBs, coffee/tea or high energy drinks consumption and smoking behaviour was identified in all models. Greater beverage consumption was associated with being a current smoker (OR = 2.46 (2.02, 2.99)), former smoker, (OR = 2.50 (1.53, 4.08)), and currently using an e-cigarette (OR = 4.66 (3.40, 6.40)). Higher beverage consumption was also associated with more days smoking/using an e-cigarette per month (OR = 2.67 (1.92, 3.70) and 3.45 (2.32, 5.12), respectively). High energy drink consumption on 4 or 5 days of the school week was the best predictor of smoking behaviour in all models. Given the health consequences of smoking and e-cigarette use and their association with SSB, high energy drinks and coffee consumption, policy initiatives to prevent smoking initiation and limit access to these beverages needs ongoing attention and implementation.

Conceptual Links between Landscape Diversity and Diet Diversity: A Roadmap for Transdisciplinary Research.

Malnutrition linked to poor quality diets affects at least 2 billion people. Forests, as well as agricultural systems linked to trees, are key sources of dietary diversity in rural settings. In the present article, we develop conceptual links between diet diversity and forested landscape mosaics within the rural tropics. First, we summarize the state of knowledge regarding diets obtained from forests, trees, and agroforests. We then hypothesize how disturbed secondary forests, edge habitats, forest access, and landscape diversity can function in bolstering dietary diversity. Taken together, these ideas help us build a framework illuminating four pathways (direct, agroecological, energy, and market pathways) connecting forested landscapes to diet diversity. Finally, we offer recommendations to fill remaining knowledge gaps related to diet and forest cover monitoring. We argue that better evaluation of the role of land cover complexity will help avoid overly simplistic views of food security and, instead, uncover nutritional synergies with forest conservation and restoration.

Are early increases in physical activity a behavioral marker for successful antidepressant treatment?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine whether changes in physical activity predicted reductions in depression during the 8 weeks of antidepressant treatment with vortioxetine. METHODS: One hundred individuals were recruited for the (THINC-it ®)-sensitivity to change study. Self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and depression severity were assessed at baseline, week 4 and week 8. Linear mixed model analyses were performed to examine whether increases in MVPA were associated with reduction in depression severity over the course of treatment and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed to assess whether treatment response (responders vs. non-responders) at week 8 was predicted by early change in physical activity (MVPA at week 4), after controlling for individuals' demographics (sex, age, race, education level, BMI) and baseline MVPA and depression severity. RESULTS: After controlling for individuals' demographics, a significant increase in MVPA predicted reduction in depression severity, ß = -2.06, 95% CI -3.18, -0.94, p <0.001. Individuals with more physical activity at week 4 relative to baseline had higher odds of treatment response at endpoint, OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.11 - 3.48, p <0.05. Twenty-one percent of total variance of depression severity was explained by change in MVPA. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that early increases in physical activity may be a behavioral marker of antidepressant treatment response. The inclusion of physical activity measures in future clinical treatment trials of depression is recommended to explore whether changes in physical activity mediate or moderate reductions in depression severity associated with the primary treatment.

Effects of Caffeine and Acute Aerobic Exercise on Working Memory and Caffeine Withdrawal.

Studies show that a single bout of exercise confers cognitive benefits. However, many individuals use psychoactive substances such as caffeine to enhance cognitive performance. The effects of acute exercise in comparison to caffeine on cognition remain unknown. Furthermore, caffeine use is associated with withdrawal symptoms upon cessation. Whether acute exercise can reduce withdrawal symptoms also remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of acute moderate intensity aerobic exercise to caffeine on working memory (WM) and caffeine withdrawal symptoms (CWS). In Phase I, non-caffeine (n = 29) and caffeine consumers (n = 30) completed a WM assessment, followed by acute exercise and caffeine. In Phase II, caffeine consumers (n = 25) from Phase I underwent the WM assessment and reported CWS following a 12-hour deprivation period. Acute moderate intensity aerobic exercise and caffeine (1.2 mg/kg) significantly improved WM accuracy and reduced CWS comparably. WM performance was not reduced following caffeine deprivation.

Smoking zones versus smoke-free zones on Canadian postsecondary campuses: Which zone is more effective, adhered to and preferred?

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to determine if smokers at post-secondary campuses are more likely to adhere to smoke-free zones (areas where smoking is not permitted) or smoking zones (areas where smoking is permitted) based on preference and effectiveness. METHODS: A self-reported survey was developed and administered at two postsecondary institutions; Western University (smoke-free zones) and Fanshawe College (smoking zones). Smokers were asked how often they use these zones, which zone is preferred and which zone they think is more effective. A chi-squared analysis was performed to determine if there were differences in the frequency of responses. RESULTS: A total of 239 surveys were collected, 119 from Western and 120 from Fanshawe. Of these, 87% of respondents at Fanshawe were aware of where they could smoke on campus, and 67% reported that they mostly or always used these spaces. At Western, significantly fewer respondents knew where to smoke (57%), and only 30% reported mostly or always using appropriate zones (p<0.05). More participants at Fanshawe indicated that they had been told by someone in authority where they could smoke (36%) compared to Western (19%, p<0.05). At Fanshawe, 63% of respondents stated that smoking zones mostly or always effectively indicated where it was appropriate to smoke on campus compared to only 18% at Western (p<0.05). Both groups indicated they preferred the zone they currently had. Finally, more participants from Fanshawe intend to quit smoking within 6 months (61% from Fanshawe vs 49% from Western, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking zones on post-secondary campuses may be more effective and adhered to by smokers than smoke-free zones.

The effects of sedentary behaviour interventions on work-related productivity and performance outcomes in real and simulated office work: A systematic review.

This review examined the impact of environmental, behavioral, and combined interventions to reduce occupational sedentary behaviour on work performance and productivity outcomes. Productivity outcomes were defined as variables assessing work-related tasks (e.g., typing, mouse), whereas performance outcomes were categorized as any variables assessing cognition that did not mimic work-related tasks. Nine databases were searched for articles published up to January 2018. Sixty-three studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria: 45 examined a productivity outcome (i.e., typing, mouse, work-related tasks, and absenteeism), 38 examined a performance outcome (i.e., memory, reading comprehension, mathematics, executive function, creativity, psychomotor function, and psychobiological factors), and 30 examined a self-reported productivity/performance outcome (i.e., presenteeism or other self-reported outcome). Overall, standing interventions do not appear to impact productivity/performance outcomes, whereas walking and cycling interventions demonstrate mixed null/negative associations for productivity outcomes. Hence, standing interventions to reduce occupational sedentary behaviour could be implemented without negatively impacting productivity/performance outcomes.

Positive site selection bias in meta-analyses comparing natural regeneration to active forest restoration.

Several recent meta-analyses have aimed to determine whether natural regeneration is more effective at recovering tropical forests than active restoration (for example, tree planting). We reviewed this literature and found that comparisons between strategies are biased by positive site selection. Studies of natural forest regeneration are generally conducted at sites where a secondary forest was already present, whereas tree planting studies are done in a broad range of site conditions, including non-forested sites that may not have regenerated in the absence of planting. Thus, a level of success in forest regeneration is guaranteed for many studies representing natural regeneration, but not for those representing active restoration. The complexity of optimizing forest restoration is best addressed by paired experimentation at the same site, replicated across landscapes. Studies that have taken this approach reach different conclusions than those arising from meta-analyses; the results of paired experimental comparisons emphasize that natural regeneration is a highly variable process and that active restoration and natural regeneration are complementary strategies.

Informing population-specific smoking policy development for college campuses: An observational study.

INTRODUCTION: In Canada, young adults have the highest smoking rates among all other population groups and specifically college students are at a higher risk. To implement effective policies that can prevent smoking and increase cessation, a population-specific approach is recommended. METHODS: Smoking and non-smoking young adults enrolled in a college program were recruited. Participants who did not smoke were asked to complete questionnaires about their demographics, college experience and the college environment. Additionally, they completed The Perceived Stress Scale and The Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale. Students who were current smokers completed the same questionnaires with the addition of one questionnaire about their smoking behaviors. Percentages, means and standard deviations were used to describe the variables of interest and a chi-squared analysis was performed, when possible, to test the difference in response frequency between smoking and non-smoking participants. RESULTS: Differences were observed between smoking (n=65) and non-smoking students (n=214). Specifically, smokers were more likely to have a family member that smoked and to participate in binge drinking. Both groups indicated that they are unaware of campus smoking regulations; however smokers were more opposed to implementing smoke-free policies. CONCLUSIONS: College students are unaware of campus smoking regulations. The descriptive information and differences observed between smoking and non-smoking students in this study should be taken into consideration when developing future smoking regulations/policies on college campuses.