Preventing smoking uptake among adolescents: A primary prevention initiative for chronic lung disease

Background

Smoking is the largest avoidable cause of chronic lung diseases. In India, tobacco consumption is increasing, particularly among the rapidly growing young adult population. Preventing the uptake and perpetuation of smoking is therefore crucial to reducing the future burden of chronic lung disease.

Aims

This project aims to identify the main determinants of smoking uptake among adolescents and to strengthen implementation of tobacco control programs and policies in India and specifically, to answer these questions:

• What are the tobacco control priorities at state and national level from the adolescent perspective?

• How tobacco control policies could be designed and implemented and views on current tobacco control policies in relation to adolescents, in particular?

• What are the likely barriers of successful translation into policy implementation?

• What are the likely facilitators of successful translation into policy implementation?

• What are the most effective and appropriate policy responses to the findings of study (to prevent tobacco uptake among adolescents)?

• What are the rates of onset of smoking susceptibility, and of uptake of smoking/smokeless tobacco use among a cohort of adolescents aged 11-15 years in Indian schools?

• What are the determinants of onset and uptake of tobacco use in this population?

• What are the views of key stakeholders/policymakers on the most effective and appropriate policy responses to the findings of study, and what are the likely barriers to and facilitators of successful translation into policy implementation?

Project plan

The team aimed to survey survey a population of 45,000 students in school grades 6-8 in Udupi region, ascertaining current and susceptibility to future tobacco use; and exposure to determinants including tobacco affordability and ease of access, tobacco imagery in films and music videos and in retail displays, health warnings, anti-tobacco media campaigns, smoke-free homes and schools, and potential confounders (including age, gender, family and peer smoking, self-esteem, rebelliousness, academic grades).

One year later the survey was to be repeated in the cohort, now in grades 7-9, to estimate prospectively the independent effects and attributable risks of these exposures on smoking susceptibility and uptake. The team aimed to carry out qualitative studies of perceived appropriate policy responses to our findings among national and regional policymakers, and local groups including police, community leaders, tobacco vendors, teachers, parents and adolescents.

Funding organisations

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