Effects of smoking on the voice of university students

Abstract

This study was carried out with the aim of verifying the effect of smoking on the voice of university students who smoke, by comparing the vocal characteristics of smokers with those of non-smokers, addressing the theory of smoking among university students, the effects of tobacco on human health and highlighting its serious consequences for the vocal folds. The research was carried out by screening the target audience, drawing up and applying questionnaires and then analyzing the vocal conditions of 20 university students (10 smokers and 10 non-smokers) using the Voxmetry Program in the city of Maringá. The questionnaires used covered everything from the age at which they started smoking to the main symptoms developed as a result of smoking. The analysis of the questionnaires showed that the initial contact with cigarettes took place during adolescence, motivated especially by curiosity and the influence of colleagues/friends, and now for them the consumption of cigarettes represents a moment of relaxation. And the results of the vocal analysis of smokers compared to non-smokers showed significant changes. In view of the above, there is a need to invest in new research on the subject and to demonstrate the dangers that smoking can bring to health, especially to the voice.