"Cigarette smoking has been described as the most important health risk in the United States" (access). That is just one of the many reasons for me to research the topic of cigarette smoking. Smoking is prevalent among people of all ages in this country. However, I focused on the habits of college students only. The main objective of this research is to determine if the smoking habits of parents of college students have any influence on the students' decision to smoke or not smoke. Many questions are surrounding what reasons people smoke. It was interesting to look into the motives for smoking behaviors, especially among my peers. Many people die every year in this country and around the world every year. Maybe after some people read this, they will think twice before lighting up their next cigarette. After all, "cigarette smoking is the single most important cause of preventable death in the United States" (smoking). In doing my research, the first thing that must be!
             done is to define "cigarette smoking" and what it actually means to be a "smoker." There is no actual standard set for how much or how often a person smokes to stereotype them with the characteristic of a "smoker." For my purposes and the purposes of this project, I have set my own standards to clarify and make my research, in general, easier to understand. I have recently "quit" smoking, and I still occasionally have a cigarette, but I still do not consider myself a "smoker." On the other hand, I do not believe someone should have to be a chain smoker to be considered a "smoker." So, for research purposes, I chose an intermediate standard. A "smoker" will be someone who smokes cigarettes at least once a day, with going no longer than two days without having a cigarette. In my belief, smoking regularly constitutes someone as a smoker, even if they smoke only one cigarette per day. In some peoples' eyes, a person has to smoke a pack a day or more to be considered a smo...