ATTITUDE OF CIGARETTE SMOKING IN KHULNA CITY CORPORATION AREA: DOES ANTI-SMOKING ADVERTISEMENT MATTER?

Abstract

This study deals with the impact of anti-smoking advertisement on intensity of cigarette consumption in four Wards of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) in Bangladesh. The sample size was 80 and following a convenient sampling procedure, data had been collected through a structured questionnaire. Major findings suggest 48 percent respondents started smoking in between 13-16 years of age. Among the respondents, 51percent started smoking through the inducement of the peers while34percent started smoking to overcome depression. Results further suggest 14percent respondents suffered from cardiac complicacies, fourteen percent suffered from respiratory disease and 6percentsuffered from diabetes of whom 49 percent needed formal health care. Incorporation of Graphical Health Warning (GHW) on cigarette packets has been made mandatory from 2015 in Bangladesh. However, empirical results suggest that only 20percent respondents noticed GHW label on the packet. Furthermore, among the aforementioned respondents, 38percentagreed that GHW have changed their smoking behaviour and 27percent reduced their smoking intensity. Eleven percent could not understand the message of GHW while 6 percent became worried about the negative health impact noticing the message of GHW. The regression analysis concludes that family pattern, occupation, per stick price of cigarette, mental depression and understandability of GHW of the users significantly influence the intensity of cigarette consumption. Regression results further suggest that such intensity is higher with the people living in nuclear family and having higher mental depression. Conversely, people who could understand the GHW label consumes less number of cigarettes.