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Saikripa, 289, PTP Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram 695 038, Kerala

|| T: 0471-2361026 || E: tobaccofreekerala@gmail.com ||

Press Release

Implement COTPA effectively, recommends study

Incidence of tobacco use high in rural Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, August 30 The first-ever study on the incidence of tobacco use in India, even

while signalling caution and determined action, has recommended effective implementation of

Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 to tackle the worrisome incidence of tobacco

use.

The study conducted in rural areas of Thiruvananthapuram district brings out that while 21.1 percent of

young men (15-24 years) are prone to the smoking habit, 22.2 percent of men between the ages of 55

and 64 gravitated towards smokeless tobacco products over seven years.

The findings of the study have been summarised in an article titled Incidence of Tobacco Use Among

Adults (15-64 years) in Rural Kerala published in a recent edition of Asia -Pacific Journal of Public Health.

Dr T Sathish, Dr Srinivasan Kannan, Dr P Sankara Sarma and Dr KR Thankappan of the Sree Chitra Tirunal

Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology here are behind the study.

The cohort study evaluated the incidence of current smoking and current smokeless tobacco use over a

seven-year period in a sample of 452 males and females aged 15 to 64 years using the World Health

Organisations STEPS approach. The STEPS approach is an instrument of chronic disease risk factor

surveillance and has three steps, viz., questionnaire, physical measurements and biochemical

measurements.

At the start of the study in 2003, of the total of 452 persons, 385 were current nonsmokers and 402

were current nonusers of smokeless tobacco. A follow-up conducted in 2010 showed that 14.3 percent

and 14.2 percent men became current smokers and current smokeless tobacco users respectively.

Current smokers and current smokeless tobacco users are defined as those who had used any of these

products in the last 30 days. Smoking products include cigarettes and bidis while smokeless tobacco

products included in the study are snuff, betel quid with tobacco, gutkha or khaini.

Incidence of smoking or the measure of risk of acquiring the habit has been obtained by dividing the

number of new current smokers at follow-up by the number of current nonsmokers during baseline. A

similar process was followed to understand the incidence of smokeless tobacco use. Incidence of

current smoking and current smokeless tobacco use is of initiation and/or relapse.

The study also throws up the trend of smokeless tobacco use among women; 9.7 per cent of older

women (55-64 years) became current smokeless tobacco users.

While there is seen a shift of preference from smoking to smokeless tobacco among men; it does not

however translate itself to total abstinence from smoking. A high 45.5 per cent continued smoking even

when they took up smokeless tobacco use. Again, none of the new smokeless tobacco users quit its use

when they took up smoking.

7/29/2019 TFK_COTPA_Aug30

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Saikripa, 289, PTP Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram 695 038, Kerala

|| T: 0471-2361026 || E: tobaccofreekerala@gmail.com ||

Principal author Dr Sathish said, COTPA is quite a unique legislation. Besides comprehensively listing

the dos and donts for effective tobacco control, COTPA can be a very powerful tool for prevention of

lifestyle diseases. Painfully, Kerala is leading in various non-communicable and lifestyle diseases and

tobacco control through rigorous enforcement of COTPA will heavily contribute in bringing down this

preventable burden. The state was chosen for the study as the epidemiological transition is moreadvanced here than other states of India.

COTPA has well-thought-after provisions to not just prevent initiation of tobacco use by prohibiting sale

of tobacco products to and by minors, but also to quell any enticements to tobacco use by prohibiting

advertisements and displays.

"Alongside strict enforcement of the tobacco control legislation, a uniform taxation structure across all

forms of tobacco will also help deter use, added Dr Sathish who is doing his PhD at the School of Public

Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia.

Ends

About COTPA

The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and

Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, known as COTPA in short is a

comprehensive law on tobacco in the public interest and to protect the public health. This Act is the

principal legislation governing tobacco control in India. It has detailed provisions for the regulation of

trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products

besides measures governing advertisements of tobacco products. The Act has 33 sections, of which the

salient ones are Sections 4 to 7. Section 4 deals with prohibition of smoking in public places and Section

5 details prohibition on all forms of direct/indirect advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of

tobacco products. Section 6 details measures prohibiting sale of tobacco products to, and by minors and

Section 7 describes the mandatory health warnings on all tobacco products.