The NCAA News - News & Features

NCAA spitting-tobacco study enters second year

Despite these alarming statistics, studies have found that college student-athletes in sports such as baseball, wrestling and football report usage rates as high as 54 percent.

Decreasing use of these products among student-athletes requires a comprehensive approach that includes educational, therapeutic, and policy-level measures. NCAA Bylaw 11.1.7, which prohibits student-athletes and personnel from using all forms of tobacco during practice and competition, and Bylaw 17.1.11 , which establishes penalties for student-athletes who fail to comply with these bylaws, are examples of the regulatory approach to reducing tobacco use.

Assessing how well the NCAA's tobacco policy works to change student-athletes' perceptions and use of spitting tobacco is the subject of an ongoing four-year National Cancer Institute-sponsored study. The study is being conducted by Drs. Bonnie Chakravorty and Robert Buchanan of the Department of Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign, with the assistance of Mark Johnson, the Illini wrestling coach, who serves as a consultant.

Fifty-six randomly selected NCAA member institutions already have participated in the first year of the study. Five-thousand student-athletes and 200 members of athletics team staffs were asked to give their views on spitting-tobacco use, the Association's policy, and their perceptions of its effects. The researchers will monitor changes in responses over time, and will compare the views of entering student-athletes to those of the returnees. Chavravorty and Buchanan appreciate the help and cooperation of all participants and thank everyone for their continuing involvement and support. The second round of surveys for this study began in late September.

The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports thanks the cooperating institutions and encourages the selected personnel and student-athletes to participate in the remainder of the study. Questions can be directed to Dr. Bonnie Chakravorty at 117A Huff Hall, 1206 South 4th Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820, phone: 217/333-0144, or email at bchakrav@uiuc.edu.