ABSTRACT
Background: The reasons for an adolescent to start smoking are mainly psychological. A proper assessment of these factors can help us reduce the prevalence of smoking among youth and save them from both its short term and long term harmful effects. Aims: To study the prevalence of tobacco usage through cigarette and hookah smoking in the age group of 17- 22 years and find out the factors mainly responsible for the prevalence. Methods: A Cross sectional community based study was conducted among students of different colleges (inter and degree) of Hyderabad of the age group 17-22 years using a predesigned and pretested questionnaire. Results: Different psychological reasons such as to manage stress, to look stylish etc and misconceptions like hookah smoking is less harmful than cigarette smoking were responsible for the prevalent smoking habit among the individuals. Conclusions: There is no single way to prevent youth smoking. A proper understanding of the responsible factors will help promote smoking prevention programs. The nature of the social influence may well change with age. Close friends may exert different types of influences at different ages, and smoking may take on different roles in establishing and maintaining friendships at different ages or for different youth. Understanding the role that smoking plays in the interactions of youth and how this role might vary or change with age is an area that is ripe for research.