53 per cent unsuccessful in attempts to quit smoking

New Delhi: Despite nearly seven of 10 smokers in Delhi being aware that smoking is dangerous, 53 per cent have been unsuccessful in their attempts to quit, new data released by Foundation for a Smoke-Free World showed.

While 68 per cent of smokers report that they are “well informed” about the impact of smoking on one’s health, 51 per cent said, they are planning to quit and 41 per cent of smokers who tried to quit, said, they would need assistance to do so.

Twenty-five per cent of smokers are using e-cigarette or vaping device to cut down smoking. This makes it clear that new cessation and harm-reduction options are needed to help smokers live longer and healthier lives.

“The data show what we have anecdotally known for decades— that many smokers have the desire to quit, but not the means to match it,” said Derek Yach, President of Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.

The data, which is a part of a global survey of 17,000 participants in 13 countries, suggested enormous challenges in creating a one-size fits all approach to smoking cessation across the globe.

“Foundation for a Smoke-Free World will fund innovative research to discover new cessation and harm-reduction tools that will save additional lives,” a statement by the organisation said.

“More than 104 million people in India alone continue to imperil their health by using combusted tobacco every day. Bidis, which are a type of low-cost and hand-rolled cigarettes that are locally made in India, account for a significant proportion of tobacco use in India. Their popularity is attributed to lower tax excise than conventional cigarettes or to tax evasion altogether. This suggests that control measures applied in India may have to be distinct from those applied to other countries in order to accelerate the rate of smoking cessation. and harm reduction in India. As evidenced by the situation in India and around the globe, there is still a tremendous amount of work to do,” said Dr Yach.