Panaji: With 4.2 per cent of the adults in Goa addicted to smoking, the Global Audit Tobacco (GATS) has found that 51 per cent of them were either planning to where thinking of quitting the puff (smoking).
Anti-Tobacco NGO National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) today released the findings of GATS survey which was conducted between August, 2016 to February, 2017 in Goa along with 30 states and Union Territories.
The GATS mentions that amongst all the states and union territories where the survey was conducted, Goa had the lowest prevalence of tobacco use.
“The first GATS survey was conducted across the country between June 2009 and January 2010. The latest is the second such survey conducted in the country,” NOTE General Secretary Shekhar Salkar told a press conference today.
GATS findings reveal that 7.9 per cent of men and 0.4 per cent of women and 4.2 per cent of all the adults smoke tobacco in Goa while 9.2 per cent of men, 3.6 per cent of women and 6.5 per cent of all adults opt for smokeless tobacco.
From the first survey which was conducted between 2009-10 till the recent one, the prevalence of smoking in the State has decreased by 0.6 per cent, the survey says adding that the prevalence of smokeless tobacco has increased by 1.9 per cent in the coastal state.
The GATS has also revealed that the mean age of initiation of tobacco is 17.5 years. The survey has revealed that 49.1 per cent of smokers and 44.4 per cent of smokeless tobacco users were adviced by the health care providers to quit smoking.
The survey which was conducted in Goa had interviewed 757 males and 1272 females by visiting different households between 2016-17.
Interestingly, around 20.6 per cent of the tobacco smokers had made attempt to quit it during the year before the survey was conducted, while 51 per cent smokers had planned or were thinking to quit smoking.
The survey also revealed that 17.9 per cent of all adults were exposed to second hand smoke indoors while 13.8 per cent at public places.
