I just graduated from college and I was one of those kids who started smoking both cigarettes and pot in 6th grade because I hung out with older kids that I wanted to be like. I quit cigarettes my freshman year of college and rarely smoke pot (I prefer drinking for socializing).<p>What surprises me was how many of my friends <i>started</i> smoking cigarettes at college. While part of me understands that college is the first time many kids are let loose and free to make decisions about their bodies, I assumed that age, experience and knowledge would override the desire to smoke cigarettes at least.<p>Not to mention this was a wealthier, liberal arts school, which seemed even more out-of-place, especially from my different environment growing up.<p>Still, the frequency of pot smoking was much higher than cigarettes and bled over into the female circles, whereas cigarettes rarely did.<p>Overall, the trend I witnessed is that, at a young age, people were more likely to smoke pot and cigarettes, in contradiction to when I was in college, where many more people smoked pot.<p>Despite this being anecdotal, I am curious what factors (age, generational differences, education) have the strongest influence on this trend.