The factor analysis model was used to parsimoniously reduce the number of variables that influence smoking among students to salient factors that cut across continents, race, and sociocultural settings among university students in China. Stratified random sampling and snowball techniques were employed to obtain the sample. A Likert-type questionnaire was used to collect data. The results revealed that of the 39 variables identified to influence smoking, 34 were retained and regrouped in terms of common features they share into 13 salient factors that accounted for 58% of variances in the original variables. The predominant hidden construct was influence by association. The other 12 factors were labeled and ordered as follows: emotional needs, family history, addiction, peer pressure, lack of full realization of the consequences of their action as regards the expense of smoking, social needs, advertisement, psychological needs, self-image, environmental factors, ineffective policies, and underestimation of health risks. Irrespective of regional demarcations, factors that influence smoking initiation and continuous use are same.