Abstract
Background: Doctors are role model and most important part of any society to influence tobacco use in community. Very little is known about tobacco prevalence in physicians and surgeons of Pakistan.
Objective: comparison of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of shisha use among medical students and pharmacy students
Methodologycross sectional study done in four major medical universitiesof Karachi, Pakistan. WHO global health survey questionnaire was used with some modification.
Result: Out of 1150 distributed Performa 868 students responded of which 398 were medical students and 470 were pharmacy students. Currently 9.6% pharmacy students and 4.8% medical students use shisha daily(p .000). 3.6% Pharmacy students started shisha use in less then 15 years of age while this number was 29.5% was among medical students(P.000) while 44.6% pharmacy students and 50% medical students were not ready to quit within six months. 24.1% pharmacy students and 20.1 medical students were against the increase in price of Tabacoo products . Ban on advertising of tobacco prodects were opposed by 17.7% pharmacy students and 18.3% of medical students. Passive smoking as cause of lung cancer was negated by 14%in pharmacy students and 20.4% in medical students (P.002). while 23.4% pharmacy students and 33.5% medical students rejected it as cause of heart diseases(p.006).paternal smoking increases the risk of lower respiratory track infection was denied by 21.5% pharmacy students and 28.7% medical students (P.0.038) .
Conclusions: Surgeons have more casual attitude towards tobacco use. To control this growing menace, both need to be educated about the health hazards related to its use.
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