World No Tobacco Day 2017: 19% quit smoking because of rising costs

19% people quit smoking because of rising costs, an ICICI Lombard survey released on World No Tobacco Day revealed. 

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is intended to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the globe.

A survey of former smokers was carried out by ICICI Lombard which found that 53% respondents, mainly women, said it was not difficult to quit smoking.

19% respondents gave up smoking because of the rising cost of cigarettes while 43%  said they kicked the habit due to family pressure, the survey said. 
The survey had a sample size of 1500 respondents. 

As per World Health Organisation (WHO), tobacco use kills more than 7 million people every year and costs households and governments over $ 1.4 trillion through healthcare expenditure and lost productivity.

The survey further said that 32% of the respondents managed to stay off tobacco by keeping themselves busy, including taking up new hobbies; 22% avoided trigger areas that tempted them to smoke; 20% started out with a ‘Quit smoking plan’, and 10% used nicotine patches to give up the habit.

Most of the respondents, who began smoking 10-12 years ago, blamed hectic work schedules for smoking and consumed as many as 10-12 cigarettes a day.

Sanjay Datta, Chief - Underwriting, Claims & Reinsurance, ICICI Lombard, said, “Smoking as a habit is not only harmful for the smoker but also for the passive smoker. Our survey highlights the serious health risks of using tobacco and urges smokers to give up the habit and lead a healthier lifestyle.”