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Result:
The recruited samples were male smokers be-tween the ages of 18 and 80 years; and the mean (SD) and median age were 42.62 (13.10) and 42.00 years, respectively. All were Muslims.

About three-fourth of the participants (72.5%) did not have any plan to quit smoking. Only two expressed their intention to quit smoking within a month, 5.6% within next six months, and another 21.4% sometime in future. About a fourth of the respondents (23.1%) who had intention to quit smoking were not at all confident about their success in quitting. Majority (64.3%) were a bit sure, 10.5% somewhat, 0.7% very and 1.4% completely sure about their success. Only 8.4% participants tried to quit smoking during the last 12 months of data collection and 13.6% ever in their smoking life. Out of all smokers only 7.2% could ever stop smoking for one day. During the last one year of data collection 7.7% stopped smoking at least for one day and 6.6% and 5.2% at least for a week and a month respectively.

* significant by χ² -test; percentage shown in parenthesis

More than one-fourth of the study participants were in 40-49 years age group and about 14% were elderly. Majority was married (94.7%) and never went to school (62.7%). One-third was farmers (36.6%) and another one-third included skilled (14.9%) and unskilled labourer (11% daily labourer and 7.5% rickshaw-puller). More than five percent were in non-paid occupations including students, unemployed, retired and household works (table I).

Respondents in 60-69 years age group and > 30 years more commonly showed intention to quit smoking than other age groups although the findings were not significant (p < 0.05). Education showed significant association with intention to quit smoking although no particular pattern was seen (p > 0.025). Intention was least common in the respondents who could sign only, whereas highest in illiterates and primary level educated. Occupation and marital status did not show any association with intention to quit.

Respondents of 50-59 years (12.6%) and 70+ years (10.6%) more commonly attempted to quit. One-tenth of illiterate and SSC+ respondents attempted to quit. Attempt to quit was more common in skilled labourer (10.8%), non-paid (10.7%) and service holders (10%). Married smokers (8.5%) tried more commonly to quit smoking than their single counterparts (7.4%). But no significant difference was noted in proportion of quit attempts among different ages, education, occupations and marital status(p >0.05).

More than one-third started to smoke at their adolescence and 45.1% started at an age between 20 and 24 years. Majority were moderate smoke-rs. Intention to quit smoking associated with age at starting smoking (p> 0.001) and type of smokers (p > 0.001). After removing the effect of educational status influence of type of smokers on intention to quit persisted. Moderate (OR 0.14; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.30) and heavy smokers (OR 0.13; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.46) were seven and seven and half times less likely to have intention to quit smoking.

Age at starting of smoking did not show any influence on quitting attempt but type of smokers did (p=0.001). Light smokers more commonly attempted to quit smoking. Moderate smokers were five times more likely not to attempt quitting smoking (OR 5.23; 95% CI 2.23 to 12.27) than the light and heavy smokers. Respondents were asked about the smoking status of their friends whom they used to meet regularly and none were non-smokers. Majority of the respondents had 'most of the friends smoking' (70.5%) and 22.3% had 'all friends smoking'. Intention and quit attempt both depended on the number of smoker friends; more the smoker friends less was the intention (p > 0.001) and attempt to quit (p=0.002). After controlling for the effect of education, age at starting smoking and type of smoker the association between number of smoker friends and intention to quit remained significant. Smokers having all (OR 0.01; 95% CI 0.003 to 0.04) and most (OR 0.18; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.42) smoker close friends were 90 and 6 times, re-spectively, less likely to have intention to quit than having a few smoker friends. After remov-ing the effect of type of smokers the association of number of smoker friends with attempt to quit persisted. Smokers having all friends smokers (OR 8.85; 95% CI 1.66 to 47.16) were about nine times more likely not to attempt quitting than their counterparts.

To find out the social correlates of quit attempts level of social restrictions were assessed (table II). Data related to smoking restrictions at different places including home, workplaces, mosque and other places of social gatherings were collected and their influence on quit attempt was ascer-tained. Only four percent households had strict restrictions about smoking and quit attempt was highest among them. Quit attempt was least common where there were no smoking restric-tions at home (p > 0.001) and smokers residing at those home were six times less likely to attempt to quit smoking (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.53) than others after controlling for the effect of type of smokers and smokers friends. Smoking restrictions at workplaces also showed influence on quit attempts (p<0.001).

One-third of the respondents working at places with restricted smoking zone attempted to quit smoking. Smokers working at non-restricted workplaces were five and half times less likely to attempt quitting than smokers working in fully or partially restricted workplaces (OR 0.18; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.61). Except few all respondents reported to have smoking restrictions at mosques. Restriction about smoking in tea stall and restaurants of that locality were also explored and found that only one tea stall and one restaurant had complete and 5% tea stalls and 6% restaurants had partial restrictions and more than one third respondents who visited those places attempted to quit. The quit attempt was less common where either there was no restriction or no rule about smoking.

*p-value obtained by χ² test, percentage shown in parenthesis

Support by the family, colleagues at work places and in mosques and their influence on quit at-tempts were assessed. To explore family support a few approaches were mentioned and responses were recorded as 'never' 'sometimes' 'often' and 'always' done by the spouse and family. The support provided by the spouse to married res-pondents during their quitting attempts were also explored (table III). About 40% always and an additional 30% often expressed their happiness, and one-fourth always, one-fourth sometimes and more than one-third often showed confidence. Percentage shown in parenthesis

*p-value obtained by χ² test, percentage shown in parenthesis

But most of them (86%) never encouraged con-tinuing the attempt. Majority of respondents helped to calm down sometimes (43%), often (43%) and to find alternatives (46% and 21%, sometimes and often, respectively); praised for not smoking (39% and 36%, sometimes and often, respectively).

Percentage shown in parenthesis. * Findings were statistically significant by X²-test at p <0.001.

About 60% respondent's family never tried to influence smokers to stop smoking saying 'res-pondents lack willpower', 'smoking causes bad smell in house', 'smoking is not allowed at home', 'smoking is bad habit' and 'have problem with smoking' and one-third of the respondent's family never asked them in last six months to quit (table IV). Less than 10% always encouraged saying the above statements except 19% and 16% respondents always complaint of bad smell at home and having problem due to smoking, respectively. Those who were more frequently told were more commonly tried to quit smoking (p <0.001).

The smokers were either never or very infre-quently told to quit smoking (57.8% and 29.7%, respectively), criticized about smoking (72.5% and 6%, respectively) and reminded it as a bad habit (68.9% and 10.6%, respectively) in the mosques. Those who were always or frequently asked to do so, tried to quit smoking more com-monly (p <0.001).

More than 70% colleagues in the workplace were never told anything about quitting. Only four percent were always asked to quit smoking and more than half of them tried. Twenty percent were always criticized for their smoking but only 21.8% of them attempted. About 40% of those who were sometimes criticized attempted to quit. Only 3.4% were always and 13.7% often told smoking is a bad habit and 41.2% and 27.9%, respectively, tried to quit smoking. All these findings were statistically significant (p > 0.001), and are presented in table V.

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