Identifying new goals and strategies for Anti-smoking campaigns targeting adolescents

Globally acknowledged as a public health emergency, the battle against tobacco consumption has emerged as a challenge to countries, developed and developing. India is the second largest consumer of tobacco in the world with smoking being the second major form of tobacco consumption. Every thirty seconds, there is a tobacco related death in India. Tobacco is one of the major causes of death and disease in India, accounting for nearly 0.9 million deaths every year (www.searo.who.int 2018). While there is evidence to state that some people are biologically predisposed to become addicted, young adults are most likely to be influenced by psychosocial factors like peer pressure or seeing their parents or role models who smoke. Cognitive factors-beliefs and attitudes are important determinants too. Understanding the role of all these factors is imperative for any research attempting to find the right formula to dissuade smoking. This paper aims to understand the progress made in dissuading young adults from adopting this habit, identify the problem areas which raise gaps in the process, assess the challenges in addressing this vulnerable yet uninformed age group and suggest interventions that may contribute to impact the young minds in a strong and sustainable way. Specifically, the study aims to identify new goals for anti-smoking campaigns targeting adolescents India and recommend strategies to address new goals for effective anti-smoking campaigns targeting adolescents. The methodology used is the survey. Respondents are adolescents in the age group 12 to 18 years from Chennai city the capital of Tamilnadu. Sampling method was non-random, among adolescents studying in private English schools/colleges in the city. The survey aimed to cover a sample size of 300.