Tobacco Use: Quitting Plan, Attempts and Obstacles for Cessation- A Cross-Sectional Study from A Sub-Urban Neighbourhood of Chennai-Tamil Nadu

Introduction: Tobacco consumption is a preventable public health problem. GATS -2 survey in Tamil Nadu shows that 20% of adults use tobacco, 40% had plans to quit and 48% had made quit attempts. The purpose of the study was to assess factors associated with tobacco use; quitting plan, attempts and identify obstacles for tobacco cessation. Methods: A Cross-sectional study was done among 300 tobacco users in a suburban neighbourhood of Chen-nai and data was analysed using SPSS software. Results: Ninety five percent were smokers and 86% smoked cigarettes. 70% knew that it causes cancer and respiratory diseases. 60% planned to quit, 69% made quit attempts. Those with quit plans and health prob-lems had an increased odds (AOR of 1.02 and 1.004 respectively) of making quit attempts. Advice from health professionals (48%) and family (52%) triggered quit attempts. Stress and work pressure were obstacles for quitting (70%). Availability of therapy and professional help for tobacco cessation was known only to 49% and 14.7% respectively and none availed it. Conclusion: Awareness of health hazards of tobacco use was high. Quit attempts have increased but with high failure rates due to lack of information and access to tobacco cessation services. Provision of community and facility-based tobacco cessation services and integration with existing health programmes is the present need.

Antimicrobial activity of methanol extract of Mahania leschenaultii Takeda root and root bark

The methanol extracts of Mahonia leschenaultii Takeda [Berberidaceae] root and root bark were tested for antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli [NCIM 2068], Pseudomonas aeruginosa [NCIM 2053], Staphylococcus aureus [NCIM 2492] and Staphylococcus epidermidis [NCIM 2493], on nutrient agar medium and nutrient broth using ampicillin trihydrate as standard drug. For antifungal study strains used were Trichophyton lignorum [NCIM 1195] and Candida crusei [NCIM 3129], on Sabourauds dextrose agar [SDA] and Sabourauds dextrose broth [SDB] by cup plate method using amphotericin B as standard drug. The results showed that all extracts exhibited significant activity against all the selected strains of bacteria and relatively more against Staphylococcus epidermidis. The antifungal activity was less significant when compared with antibacterial activity