Is Mass Media Exposure Associated with Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption Behaviour: Evidence from India

Abstract Tobacco and alcohol consumption are one of the leading lifestyle-related causes of avoidable mortality worldwide. India is the second-largest consumer of tobacco globally after China. The pattern of tobacco smoking, tobacco chewing and alcohol consumption varies across the states and regions of India. Past literature has provided varying evidence regarding the influence of media on the tobacco and alcohol consumption behaviour of Indian people in specific regions and/or specific age brackets. The current study examined the association between media exposure in households and the individual consumption behaviour of tobacco and alcohol in the Indian population while simultaneously accounting for unobserved heterogeneity at the state level. The analysis was performed separately for both rounds of India Human Development Survey (IHDS) cross-sectional datasets. Multivariable standard logit regression models and random-intercept logit regression models were used to fulfil the study objectives. The study showed that exposure to radio and television media in households was associated with a high risk of smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol in both rounds of IHDS. However, exposure to newspaper media in households translated to a lower risk of tobacco and alcohol consumption in both rounds. People aged 20-59 years were highly likely to consume tobacco or alcohol compared to younger individuals in both rounds of data. Additionally, females are more likely to chew tobacco compared to their male counterparts. The study also provides evidence of the presence of a high level of heterogeneity in the risk of smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco and drinking alcohol across the states of India. The findings of the study highlight the need for devising effective policies that curb the role of radio and television mass media as a promotional medium for tobacco and alcohol consumption among the Indian population.