College students who smoke only when they drink on weekends and proclaim themselves "light smokers" may still be at risk for serious health issues, according to a recent study.

The study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, cites research by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, which indicates that smoking one to four cigarettes a day still triples the risk of dying from heart disease or lung cancer, compared to a nonsmoker.

Lynn Kozlowski, head of Penn State's biobehavioral health department, is a tobacco researcher at Penn State who outlined some of the risks for light smokers in college. "There is a strong likelihood that what is light smoking in college won't always stay light smoking," he said. "For this age group something to emphasize is that if they're going to quit, now would be a good time to do it."

University physician Ed Rosick said it's not always easy for students to quit smoking.

"When you're a student there are a lot more places to smoke and a lot of people smoking around you," Rosick said. "At a younger age it's hard to look down the road and see the future effects when you want to go out to the bar with some friends and have a few cigarettes."

Rosick mentioned the immediate effects of smoking included an impediment of the immune system in doing its necessary functions, as well as colds and upper respiratory infections.

Kozlowski also discounted the notion "light" or "low-tar" cigarettes may decrease health risks. "Light cigarettes may have an effect on your pattern of inhalation so you'd get a different kind of cancer than you'd have smoking regular cigarettes," he said.

Milos Tucakovic, a pulmonary critical care specialist at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, said smoking just one cigarette keeps protective defenses of the body blocked for many hours afterward.

"There are risks for those who are not even light smokers but are exposed to cigarette smoke," he said. "Some argue that even smoking one cigarette in a lifetime could cause irreparable damage to a person's genetic foundation."

Brittany Graber (junior-nutrition) said she smokes only on weekends when she's drinking or with her friends.

"I don't drink as much anymore and I would get bored, so I'd have a cigarette because it kept me from drinking more and getting out of control," she said.

Graber said she usually splits a pack of cigarettes with her friend but still sometimes wakes up the next morning with a bad cough or a sore throat.

"I'm a nutrition major so I know I shouldn't be smoking at all, but I figure that it's only been a year since I started smoking and I never smoke a cigarette when I'm not drinking," she said. "Now I try not to smoke when I'm drinking because I've heard in my classes that when you smoke in college while drinking you're more likely to smoke later on in life."

Kozlowski said those who smoke at social events should try to give it up for one night.

"If it's hard to not smoke, then that's a wake up call that another year from now you may be more than just a light smoker," he said.