Impact of Ban on Smokeless Tobacco (SLT) on Second Hand Smoke (SHS) Exposure among Males : Findings of a Community-based Survey in Delhi

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Ban on gutka/smokeless tobacco (SLT) in India beginning in 2011 raised apprehension of its users switching to smoking and thereby increased second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure to non-users. Delhi Government issued notification banning gutka and pan-masala containing tobacco and/or nicotine in 2012. To address circumvention of ban by SLT manufacturers, ban was revised and reissued in 2015 to explicitly ban all SLT products. Objectives: To assess change in second hand smoke (SHS) exposure in Delhi three years after gutka ban and one year after explicit ban on all SLT products. Method: Cross-sectional household survey was conducted in Delhi during March-December 2016 to assess SHS exposure at home, workplace and public places. Males aged 15 years and above living in urban Delhi were asked questions similar to Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)-India, 2010. Survey data were compared with 2010 records to assess change in SHS exposure between 2010 and 2016. Results: As compared to 2010, 12.0% less non-smokers reported SHS exposure at home. Among those working outside home, 13.7% non-smokers reported SHS exposure at indoor workplace as compared to 19.3% in 2010. Less educated people are more likely to face SHS exposure at work. Chance of exposure at any public place during last one month has also decreased by 6.5%. Conclusion: Probability of coming across SHS exposure has decreased in urban Delhi at all places in 2016 as compared to 2010. Efforts to enforce SLT ban must sustain without fear of increase in SHS exposure.