Tobacco News and Interesting Information

Cigarette Smoking is Injurious to Health", says the warning on every packet. But let alone the public, not even the would-be doctors heed to the advisory. An AIIMS survey on smoking among medical students in the Capital and other parts of the region has found that 56 per cent of them stick to the butt.

According to the survey, 35 per cent of medical students surveyed were found to be "nicotine-dependent".

The year-long survey was done by AIIMS' medicine department, with students from major medical colleges like AIIMS, Maulana Azad Medical College, University College of Medical Sciences and other colleges of North India answering questionnaires based on smoking habits.

How the survey was done

* Dr Randeep Guleria, professor of medicine at AIIMS, said the survey used the "Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence", developed by Dr Karl Fagerstrom, one of the world's leading authorities on the effects of smoking.

"Dependence on smoking was assessed by the quantitative method with questions like number of cigarettes smoked every day and the time of lighting up the first cigarette after waking up," Guleria said.

"The motivation to stop smoking was assessed qualitatively by direct questions about intentions to quit."

What the survey found

* Of the total 182 medical students who filled the questionnaire, 102 (56%) were found to be smokers, while the other 80 said they did not smoke.

* Percentage of undergraduate smokers increased as the semesters went by.

* The average age of smokers was found to be 23 years, and the mean age of starting smoking was 18.65 years.

* 37.5 per cent students took to cigarettes after seeing others smoke, a further 32.5 per cent smoked since they felt it was a stress-buster; 8.75 per cent started due to "peer pressure".

* 11 per cent were found to be "heavy smokers", and 45 per cent had a "family history of smoking".

* 35 per cent showed "nicotine-dependence".

* 65 per cent had made attempts to quit, while 62 per cent were willing to quit if assisted.

Who says what

* An AIIMS undergraduate: "We are future doctors but we also have mood swings — sometimes stress-related (studies), and at time personal issues. Smoking at these times is found to be the best way to get relief."

* Dr Randeep Guleria, professor of medicine, AIIMS: "The use of tobacco by doctors reflects their attitudes to tobacco. Besides endangering their own health, doctors who smoke send a misleading message to patients and to the public."

The endgame

The study also found that most of the students surveyed are willing to quit smoking. So the doctors have recommended hospital authorities to set up "quit-smoking clinics" with psychotherapy facilities.