Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)

In Kerala, almost 35.8% of males between 15 – 49 years age smoke tobacco. But among women of the same age group only 0.1% use tobacco. At the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi 309 male and 46 female lung cancer cases had been reported in a two year period 2004-2005. The male to female ratio of this is 6.7:1 indicating a low percentage of women with lung cancer. ETS exposure has been shown to cause lung cancer and some other health effects. Source of ETS is mainly the home environment but the working environment also contributes to ETS.