A CROSS-SECTIONAL RESEARCH ON THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF PASSIVE SMOKING SUCH AS HEADACHE IN THE MEDICAL COLLEGES OF LAHORE

Objective: Primarily our research was aimed at the determination of the headache frequency in the medical colleges because of the passive smoking and it also observed the non-smokers response. Methods: Research was cross-sectional and it was held in the 3 medical colleges of Lahore. Research was completed on three hundred participants in August, 14. It included the students in the age of 18 – 25 years. All the participants were non-smokers and they were being exposed to the effects of passive smoking daily once or twice. Demographic data about the gender, age, duration, frequency and location was gathered for the absence or presence of passive smoking. Behavior and non-smokers response about the counselling was also observed. Result: In the total of 290 participant’s headache was complained by 186 participants (64.1%) as the total participants exposed to the passive smoking were 172 (59%). More than twice a total of 127 students (43%) were exposed to passive smoking regularly. Prohibition of public place smoking was advocated by 255/290 students (88%). 90 students (31%) practically took a step to talk to the smokers about the quitting of smoking at public place. Smokers response was observed as positive in seventy-three percent of the students. Conclusion: High frequency of headache was observed in the passive smoker students of medical colleges. Special training is mandatory about the counselling of smokers to avoid smoking in public and practical exercise of the law is also required about the public smoking specifically in public. Keywords: Passive and Secondhand Smoking, Medical Students, Headache and Medical Colleges