Prevention of Initiation of Smokeless Tobacco and Non Tobacco Products Consumption Among Students of a Private High School in Puducherry: An Interventional Study

Abstract

Tobacco is dried and fermented leaves. Tobacco epidemic is killing 8 million people a year. Thus, the study is done to assess the frequency of smokeless tobacco and Non tobacco in school students. School based Interventional study conducted among 373 students of 7th to 10th standard in a private high school, in our city. Data collected was entered in Excel and analysis was done using SPSS software version 23.0. Around 362 (97%) students were aware that tobacco usage affects health. Around 58 (16 %) students had consumed non tobacco products and 11 (3%) students had consumed smokeless tobacco ever in their lifetime. After 2 weeks of awareness session on Tobacco use and its effects by the investigator, quit rate was 66% for Non-Tobacco Products & Smokeless Tobacco. There is significant association between awareness about tobacco usage and students who quit Non-Tobacco Products and Smokeless Tobacco after awareness session with p value of <0.039. Post-test results after the awareness session showed that it helped in improving knowledge and developing negative attitude towards Tobacco usage among school students.

Keywords

• tobacco
• smokeless tobacco
• non-tobacco products
• addiction