The current study explores the motivations underlying tobacco use among varsity athletes. A cross-sectional exploratory mixed method approach was used. Both tobacco users (TU) and non-tobacco users (NTU) completed an online survey of closed and open-ended questions. These questions focused on tobacco use, motivations for tobacco use, teammate and coaches' perceptions of athlete tobacco use, and self-perceived effects of tobacco use on health and athletic performance. Thirty-eight completed surveys were included of which 12 were TU and 26 were NTU. The majority of TU indicated that they used products during the off-season. Motivations for using tobacco products included social influences, stress-relief, and increasing energy. TU mostly indicated that there are negative effects on their health but not on their athletic performance, whereas NTU reported potential detrimental effects on their teammate's performance. Overall, varsity athletes who use tobacco products are aware of the health effects and negative opinions of their teammates.
Keywords: Athletics; college health; college students; smoking; tobacco.