Tobacco Smoking, Cigarette Butt Smoking: Markers for Early Intervention in Adolescents at School Level.
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Date
2013-03
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Abstract
Introduction: Tobacco use in children and adolescents
is reaching pandemic levels. The World Bank has reported
that nearly 82,000-99,000 children and adolescents all over
the world begin smoking every day. WHO Fact Sheet May
2010 reported the annual death toll of five million could
rise to eight million by 2030 unless an urgent action is taken
to control this “epidemic”. Preventive strategies are needed
to be initiated on urgent basis focused towards adolescents.
There is difficulty to enforce the laws and implementing
preventive programs in the developing countries like India.
Due to some constraints the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI)
is facing defeat in the third world. This study was conducted
in high school students of Hapur, Ghaziabad (Dist.) of U.P.
to identify the various correlates which induce these
impressionable young adolescent minds to indulge in the
use of tobacco. Material & Methods: Eight hundred seven
high school children aged 12-18 years were surveyed by
using an anonymous pre-tested self-report questionnaire.
Personal indulgence in tobacco use over the period of one
year was measured. A three point scale (yes / no / don’t
know) was used. Consent / assent were duly taken from
the student / teachers / principal. Results were tabulated
and analysed. Results: The overall prevalence of smoking
was found to be 31.97%. The use rate of tobacco was
53.53%. Among the tobacco users 59.72% were smokers.
The prevalence of current smoking among tobacco users
is 59.72%. The prevalence of smoking was 76.74% among
male students and 23.25% amongst girls. Age of smoking
initiation in both genders was mostly in 14+- 16 years.
Parental (father) influence of smoking was noted to the
extent of 36.04% in boys and 13.95% in girls, influence of
teacher’s smoking was 39.90% in males but much less in
females (23.25%). Poor academic performance and
prolonged TV watching was noted as factor in both the
genders. Even 13.95% females without pocket money
indulged in the habit by using discarded cigarette butts (75%)
which are freely available. Butt smoking was also found in
boys (40%). They were aware that this habit was bad, yet
indulged in it, indicating that curiosity (55% F) and peer
pressure (56.56% M) and addictive nature of substance.
Advertisements and promotional campaigns, mimicking their
role model, were an important source of initiation of habit
in both genders. Feeling of freedom from inhibitions and in
females possible weight reduction to improve the looks also
accounted for the habit was also noted. Our study highlights
behavioural pattern of smoking as also the various factors
identifying the first use and its perpetration up to habituation/
addiction. Monetary considerations and low availability of
pocket money were found to be circumvented by the habit
of using the discarded cigarette butts which are available for free, avoids detection, contains ash, partially burnt
tobacco and paper, carbon particles, filter tissue, cellulose
acetate etc. with harmful effects on lungs and other yet
unidentified adverse health effects. The butt use was found
in males (41.93%) and females (62.5%) and save them
from deleterious effects of tobacco smoking. Conclusion:
The markers thus identified in this study provide basis for
early appropriate intervention of vulnerable school
population and help in identification of modifiable risk
factors and psychosocial clusters to provide the basis for
intervention.
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Keywords
cigarette butt smoking, markers / correlates
Citation
Agarwal Anand Kumar, Ram Raghav, Kumar Swatantra, Jaiswal Sunil, Singh Vijay Kumar, Tobacco Smoking, Cigarette Butt Smoking: Markers for Early Intervention in Adolescents at School Level. Indian Medical Gazette. 2013 Mar ; 147 (3): 81-85.