Delhi smokers don’t feel the need to kick the butt

Smokers in Delhi seem to be least interested in kicking the killer habit. A new analysis of the tobacco burden in the north Indian states said that cigarette smokers in Delhi had made the least attempts to quit as compared to any other state in the region.

Smokers in Delhi seem to be least interested in kicking the killer habit. A new analysis of the tobacco burden in the north Indian states said that cigarette smokers in Delhi had made the least attempts to quit as compared to any other state in the region.

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In Delhi, just 12% people tried to quit smoking.

Released by the joint secretary in the union health ministry, Shakuntala Gamlin, the analysis revealed that tobacco cessation was most sought after in Haryana, where maximum number of 34.2% cigarette smokers made an effort to quit.

"This only shows that tobacco cessation clinics in Delhi are not working. People are not coming forward to quit. So before seeking more clinics for Delhi in the 12th Five Year Plan, policy makers must ensure the existing cessation facilities work," said Monika Arora, senior director, HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth).

HRIDAY along with the Public Health Foundation of India analysed the tobacco burden data for six north Indian states – Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Himachal.

The analysis found that the highest attempts to use smokeless tobacco products were reported by adult users (15 years and above) in Himachal Pradesh followed by Uttarakhand at 37.8% and Delhi at 8.3%.

Overall, nationally, the proportion of adults who attempted to quit smoking is 38.4% and for smokeless forms it is 35.4% respectively.

Health minister Ashok Kumar Walia, in a message said, "I am concerned to learn that almost a quarter of Delhi’s population consumes tobacco in one form or the other and over 32% of the state’s population is exposed to second-hand smoke."