Hry has 23.6% tobacco users, reveals study

Almost one fourth, 23.6 percent of adults – aged 15 and above – in Haryana use tobacco in some form or the other. This includes 39.1 percent of men and 6.3 percent of women, revealed the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS 2).

There are 19.7 percent of adults including 33.1 percent men and 4.8 percent women in the state, who smoke tobacco. The prevalence of smokeless tobacco among adults in Haryana stood at 6.3 percent including 10 percent men and 2.2 percent women, revealed GATS 2 released by the Haryana Government.

Out of 23.6 percent tobacco users in the state, 21.7 percent are from urban while 24.8 percent are from rural areas.  Bidi and hukkah are the two most commonly used tobacco products in the state. 15.5 percent and 7.6 percent of adults smoke bidi and hukkah respectively.

Despite the ban on gutka, pan masala and other similar products containing tobacco in the state, the prevalence of smoking and smokeless tobacco has remained unchanged from GATS 1 (undertaken in 2009-10) to GATS 2 (2016-17).

The prevalence of tobacco use has remained at 23.6 percent in GATS 2, same as in GATS 1, the report stated.

However, the prevalence of tobacco use among youngsters aged 15-17 years have increased from zero percent in previous study to four percent in GATS 2. Also, the mean age of initiation of tobacco use has increased from 18 years in GATS 1 to 19.3 years in the latest survey.

In view of the prevalence of tobacco use among youngsters, the State Government had a day before announced to constitute steering committees at district level to ensure complete ban on the sale of tobacco and smoking in the periphery of medical and educational institutions in Haryana.

The study has also pointed out that 55 percent were advised by a health care provider to quit smoking and 46.6 percent of smokeless tobacco users were advised to quit smokeless tobacco use. Also, 40.4 percent cigarette smokers and 57.2 percent of bidi smokers thought of quitting smoking because of warning label while 64.6 percent of smokeless tobacco users thought of quitting smokeless tobacco use because of warning label, it stated.

About passive smoking, the study further stated that a high 52.9 percent of all adults who worked indoors were exposed to second-hand smoke at their workplace while 32.6 percent were exposed to second-hand smoke at any public place. 65.2 percent adults are exposed to tobacco smoke at home.

The average monthly expenditure on cigarette (for daily smokers) is Rs 1349.4 while average monthly expenditure on bidi (for daily bidi smoker) is Rs 184.2, the study said.

According to health experts, tobacco use and passive smoking are major causes of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and stroke, contributing to approximately three million deaths per year.

There is serious lack of knowledge of the multiple health risks associated with tobacco. More than half of adults Indians did not know smoking can cause stroke, according to the World Health Organization.

In the first phase of GATS, which was undertaken in 2009-10, there were 3.8 percent cigarette smokers which has declined to 2.9 percent in the second phase of the survey done in 2016-17 in Haryana.

37.4 percent smokers made an attempt to quit in past 12 months while 55.2 percent are thinking to quit it, the latest survey added.

In Haryana, a total of 991 males and 1514 females were interviewed for the survey.

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey is a global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use and tracking key tobacco control indicators. GATS is a household survey conducted in all states of the country and two union territories.