A Thai monk: an agent for smoking reduction in a rural population

Monks in a rural community in northern Thailand were observed to conduct anti-smoking activities. To evaluate the effects of the monks' efforts on change of people's smoking behaviour and attitudes, we conducted a survey of adults > or = 15 years of age in this village (intervention village sample) and a randomly selected village (control village sample) in the same subdistrict. Between March and April 1991, we interviewed 372 individuals in the intervention village and 664 in the control village. The two villages were of similar socioeconomic status. The proportion of ever smokers who had tried to quit was greater in the intervention sample (79.6%) than in the control sample (72.0%) (P = 0.048). The proportion of former smokers who had stopped smoking for > or = 1 year was significantly greater in the intervention sample (25.5% of ever smokers) than in the control sample (16.6%) (P = 0.011). Of current smokers in the intervention village, 45.8% reported smoking less tobacco during the year preceding the survey than in the previous 1-year period compared with 35.2% in the control village (P = 0.034). Many former smokers (80.3%) in the intervention village cited the suggestion of a monk as one important reason for quitting compared with 25.6% in the control village (P = 0.000). The proportion of individuals who were well aware of the harmful effects of smoking on health was greater in the intervention village than in the control village. Religious leaders may be helpful in a community-based smoking prevention programme.