G.V. Kulkarni et al USE OF TOBACO AMONG ADOLESCENCE IN URBAN AREA Int J Cur Res Rev, Apr 2013/ Vol 05 (07) Page 58 IJCRR Vol 05 issue 07 Section: Healthcare Category: Research Received on: 24/02/13 Revised on: 15/03/13 Accepted on: 04/04/13 USE OF TOBACO AMONG ADOLESCENCE IN URBAN AREA G.V. Kulkarni, M.M. Angadi, V.M. Sorganvi Department of Community Medicine, B.L.D.E.University, Shri B.M. Patil Medical College, Bijapur, Karnataka, India E-mail of Corresponding Author: kulkarnigopal55@gmail.com ABSTRACT Tobacco consumption in multiple forms presents an emerging, significant and growing threat to the health of Indian adolescents, especially those from low socio economic communities. The World Health Organization projects that by the year 2030, tobacco use will kill 10 million persons annually, which make tobacco the number one cause of preventable death in the world. Objectives To know the prevalence of tobacco use among urban adults. Material and Methods Study Area Urban Health Training Centre Study Design Cross Sectional Study Sample Size 360 Study Period 1 st April to 31 st July 2012 Participants Adolescents residing at UHTC area Statistical Analysis Chi-Square Test and Percentage Result: Prevalence of tobacco use was higher among boys than girls. Adolescents reported that using tobacco in multiple forms, chewing tobacco being the most popular. Peer pressure, easy availability and affordability were important reasons associated with tobacco initiation and continued use. Community based intervention can be effective in preventing adolescence from initiating tobacco use in a low resource. Keywords: Adolescents use of tobacco INTRODUCTION Tobacco is a major health problem as it kills more than five million people a year or one person every six seconds, and more than 80% 0f these deaths occur in developing countries 1 . Majority of the cardio vascular diseases, cancer and chronic lung diseases are directly attributable to tobacco consumption. Almost 40% of the tuberculosis deaths in the country are associated with smoking. Tobacco kills a third to half of all people who use it; on an average 15 year pre maturely. By 2030, unless urgent action is taken tobacco annual death toll will rise to more than eight millions. 2 According to WHO estimates 194 million men and 45 million women use tobacco in smoked or smokeless forms in India 3 India is the second largest consumer of tobacco products and third largest producers of tobacco in the world. 4 It is consumed in the forms of beedi , gutka, paan masala ,hukka, cigarettes, chutta,mawa and others. In India tobacco use is estimated to cause 0.8 million deaths annually . 5 Nearly 2200 Indian dies each day of tobacco related diseases. 6 The most suseptible time for initiating tobacco use in India is adolescence and early adulthood.