Prevention of Tobacco Use and the Mass Media Dr. Elizabeth H. Department of Social Work Mizoram University Tanhril, Aizawl-796 004 Online published on 8 August, 2018. Abstract Media has a great impact on human health behavior and played a key role in the historical trends in tobacco use. Worldwide, media are involved in subsequent efforts on health promotion including control of tobacco use and cessation. It is becoming among the most powerful socializing agents in shaping collective perceptions of “normative” and “normal, ” and of “cool” and “uncool, ”. So, the roles and functions of media have grown complex over time, reflecting the post-industrial world's growth and complexity as well as its paradoxes and contradictions. Several research studies including the Surgeon General report (2004), report of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the systematic review of the literature on the impact of mass media campaigns, published (2012) had confirmed and emphasize the significance of psychological mechanisms to tobacco use promotion or tobacco control that depends on the theory of attitude and behavior. Therefore, it is significant to understanding the importance of media interventions in promoting cessation, motivation to quit or increasing the chance of success on any given attempt. The Study was conducted in 2012 among 350 women tobacco users in Aizawl district, Mizora, India to examine the awareness level on the health consequences of tobacco use by using structured interview schedules. The study examines the pattern of tobacco use including the socializing agents on opinionattitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and behavior which are operating at the individual level to larger society, awareness level on tobacco use. The major findings of the study reveal the connection of the above variables to mass media campaign and the relevance of tobacco control communication in the prevention of tobacco Use. Top Keywords Addiction, tobacco use, mass media, eHealth, tobacco control communication. Top |