BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: Parental tobacco use plays a crucial role in influencing tobacco use and initiation among adolescents. Therefore, parental tobacco cessation is important and children can motivate the parents to stop using tobacco. Children are uniquely positioned to identify tobacco users with in the family. However, lack of knowledge and access to cessation services prevents any further action from their side.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: An orientation programme was conducted from 2023-2024 in 100 municipal and govt-aided schools catering lower socioeconomic population in slum areas of Mumbai. During the session all the students of 7th, 8th and 9th std were sensitized about ill-effects of tobacco and informed about available counselling services. The students were asked to refer their family members who were using tobacco. The referred parents were contacted, screened, motivated to quit and voluntarily enrolled for the counselling services. Six-month telephonic counselling involving six follow-up sessions was provided to them.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: 9298 students who attended the orientation sessions referred 1463 parents. Among them, 1172 (80%) could be successfully contacted and screened for current tobacco use. 1032 (88%) reported tobacco use in the past 30 days and 1020 registered for the six-month counselling services. 140 of the screened parents did not accept consuming tobacco as reported by their child. Among the registered parents, 887(87%) were males. Majority (87%) of them used smokeless tobacco, 63 (6%) smoked and 66 (6%) were dual users. At the end of programme, 399 (39%) self-reported not using tobacco.
CONCLUSIONS: Increasing accessibility to cessation services by sensitizing children and establishing a referral mechanism is feasible and effective. Parental tobacco cessation can also prevent tobacco use initiation and promote cessation among adolescents.