Background and Objectives: Cigarette smoking among the youth population has increased
significantly in developing countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, no extant literature assesses the prevalence of tobacco use, nor identifies factors associated with smoking. This
study determined the prevalence of cigarette smoking among a specific cohort of students and
assessed factors related to tobacco use in this population. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional
study included 1200 students at all faculties of Banja Luka University. Data were collected from
questionnaires adapted from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) and the Global Health Professional Student Survey (GHPSS) standardized questionnaires and were analyzed using descriptive
statistics, Pearson’s χ2 test, and logistic regression. Results: When the prevalence of cigarette smoking
within the last thirty days was recorded, we found that 34.1% of students smoked within this period.
Nearly three-quarters (74.9%) of the student population had smoked or experimented with cigarette
smoking. However, medical students were 27.2% less likely to smoke than their counterparts from
other faculties. Overall, 87% of all students were aware of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking,
79% were aware of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, and 65% reported that it was difficult to
quit. Increased spending of personal money was associated with a higher probability of smoking,
while exposure to secondhand smoke increased the odds of smoking by 62%. Conclusion: Policies,
strategies, and action plans should be introduced in order to reduce the prevalence of smoking among
university students and to create a smoke-free environment at the various universities involved.