This study aimed to assess the awareness of people about the adverse effects of tobacco (smoking and chewing) consumption causing head and neck cancers (HNCs) via mass media channels like television, cinema, radio and newspapers or magazines, wall painting or billboards / hoardings, public transportation and packets of chewing tobacco, bidis or cigarettes.

The most common form of mass media was television where the cases (60.4%) and controls (77.9%) had heard messages about tobacco in chewing and smoking form causing HNCs. Level of awareness of tobacco causing HNCs amongst tobacco users, stratified by their status (cases versus controls) showed that cases were 1.68 times less likely than controls to have heard or seen messages about the association between chewing tobacco and HNCs via radio. Males (61.3% and 61.0%) had significantly (P<0.001) more awareness as compared to females (46.9% and 43.5%) about chewing and smoking tobacco as a causal factor for  HNCs.

The study found that mass media needs to create a social environment which discourages tobacco consumption and promotes oral health at the population level. Additionally, there should be easy access to the availability of support services like Quitline and other community support services.