Tobacco Use Insights

Background: Students aged 13–15 years in Grades 8–10 have been surveyed in the year 2006 and in 2009 to monitor the prevalences of smoking and smokeless tobacco use and to assess their attitudes, knowledge and behaviors towards tobacco use and its health impact.

Methods: The Global Youth Tobacco Survey is a cross sectional survey that uses a two-stage cluster sample design to get a representative sample of schools and students for the study. In India, a total of 12 086 students in the year 2006 and 11 768 in 2009 were surveyed.

Results: About 14% (13.7% in 2006 and 14.6% in 2009) of students use tobacco (smoking/smokeless tobacco). The prevalence of smoking among boys is about three times that of girls in both the surveys. The prevalence of smokeless tobacco among girls is twice that of smoking tobacco in both the surveys. In the 2009 survey comparing with the 2006, the percentage of students who initiated bidi smoking before 10 years of age is significantly higher in boys (2006: 26.0% and 2009:45.4%); the percentage of never smokers likely to initiate smoking in the following year is significantly lower in girls (2006: 16.0% and 2009: 10.8%); the percentage of students exposed to smoke from parents is significantly lower (2006: Boys-38.3%, Girls-30.7% and 2009: Boys-29.3%, Girls-22.4%); the percentage of students who reported that they were taught about the dangers of smoking during the school year is higher; and, ever smokers received help or advice to help stop smoking is significantly higher (2009: 19.5% and 2006: 4.4%). The percentage of students who saw any advertisements for tobacco, the percentage of students offered free cigarettes by a cigarette company representative or their access/availability to smoking tobacco and the changes observed in the prevalences of tobacco use among students in 2009 is not significantly different from 2006.

Conclusions: No significant difference is seen in the prevalence of tobacco use among students between the 2006 and 2009 surveys.

The percentage of boys who initiated bidi smoking before age 10 is statistically higher in 2009 compared to 2006. There is a need to strengthen enforcement of policies already in place as well as focus on expansion into additional program efforts.