Tobacco Quit Rates among Youth in an Urban Health Centre of Mumbai: A Cross Sectional Study

BACKGROUND Tobacco use is a major cause of preventable death and disease in India.A nationally representative case-control study of smoking in India(2008) revealed that only 2% of smokers had spontaneously quit. Thisstudy was undertaken to assess tobacco quit rates among the youth in anurban health center and to determine barriers in quitting tobacco use. METHODS This cross sectional study was conducted among the youth attendingMalwani Urban Health Centre. Hundred-thirty-three subjects wereselected by a universal sampling method. Data was collected using asemi structured questionnaire. FINDINGS The majority of the youth were in the 18 to 21-year-old age group (43%),Male (82.4%), Muslim (65.4%) and unmarried (57.1%). The tobacco quitrate among these cases was 8.3%. Quitting tobacco use was significantlyassociated with the person's religion, marital status and living with the family. CONCLUSION Fear of cancer was the most common reason for quitting tobacco. Themajor reason for initiation of tobacco consumption was peer pressureand betel quid was the most common form. Not experiencing anyharmful effects of tobacco was the most common reason for notquitting tobacco.