21% students tried to quit smoking in past 12 months

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 7

As many as 21 per cent students, in the age group of 13 to 15 years, have tried to quit smoking in the state in the past 12 months, a global survey has confirmed.

The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-4), a component of the Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS), which was a global standard for systematically monitoring youth tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and tracking key tobacco control indicators, a copy of which is with The Tribune, also revealed that 4.8 per cent of students were exposed to tobacco smoke at home while 10 per cent of students were exposed to tobacco smoke inside enclosed public places.

The survey, which was a cross-sectional and nationally representative school-based study of students in grades associated with age 13 to 15 years, has found that of the total 21 per cent students, who tried to quit smoking, included 31.7 per cent girls, 9 per cent boys, comprising 22.1 per cent ruralites and 10.8 per cent from urban areas.

The study has also shown that 37 per cent of the current smokers have wanted to quit smoking while 21 per cent of current users of smokeless tobacco have tried to quit using tobacco in the past 12 months. These included 40.2 per cent girls, 33.1 per cent boys, of whom 41.1 per cent were from rural areas and 6.6 per cent were urbanites.

On the access and availability front, the survey showed that 89 per cent of current cigarette smokers and 96 per cent of current bidi smokers bought the stuff from a store, paan shop, street vendor or vending machines.

Among the current smokers, who bought cigarette or bidi, 46 per cent of cigarette smokers and 20 per cent of bidi users were not even refused the delivery of cigarette and bidi because of their age.

The study suggested that 57 per cent of students noticed anti-tobacco messages in the mass media while 11 per cent of students noticed tobacco advertisements or promotions when visiting the points of sale.

On the knowledge and attitudes, the survey found that 76 per cent of students thought that other people’s cigarette smoking was harmful to them while 47 per cent of students favoured ban on smoking inside enclosed public places.

The study on school policy showed that 100 per cent of school heads, both in rural and urban areas, were aware of the COTPA, 2003, provisions, while 94 per cent of school heads, including 90 per cent in rural and 100 per cent in urban schools, were aware of the policy to display ‘tobacco-free school’ board at their premises.

The GYTP-4 was conducted in Punjab as part of a national survey by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The overall response rate for the survey was 77.6 per cent. A total of 2,406 students from 31 schools, including 19 public and 12 private, participated in the study, of which 1,928 students, aged between 13 and 15 years, were considered for reporting.