Open AccessA Smoking Survey of College Students in India: Implications for Designing an Antismoking Policy
Author(s) -
Gavarasana Satyanarayana,
Doddi Vijaya Prasad,
Prasad Gorty V. S N. R.,
Allam Apparao,
Murthy Bellana S. R.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
japanese journal of cancer research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 0910-5050
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1991.tb01821.x
Subject(s) - taboo , public health policy , public health , environmental health , public policy , medicine , psychology , advertising , health policy , political science , business , nursing , law
A survey of 599 college students was conducted in Andhra Pradesh, India, to formulate an anti‐smoking policy for youth. There were 64.6% boys and 35.4% girls between 15 and 22 years, and 8.2% of students (n = 49, 48M + 1F) were smokers. It is a taboo for girls to smoke. There is no current anti‐smoking policy and one is proposed based on the smoking survey results. The policy includes parental pressure to curb smoking, and a ban on (1) advertising of tobacco products, (2) smoking in public places and (3) teachers smoking in school. An increase in the price of cigarettes was approved by a majority of the students. The survey revealed a gap in the knowledge of students about the ill effects of smoking, which can be rectified by health education programs.