Tobacco and substance use: perceptions and practices among men in Bagnibari, Bangladesh

Tobacco and substance abuse are associated with several serious diseases and despite understanding their negative health consequences, men in Bangladesh still smoke at a rate higher than elsewhere in South Asia. There is little information concerning substance use in men in rural or urbanizing areas of Bangladesh. This study was a qualitative, exploratory study of the practices and emic perspective of men’s tobacco and substance use in order to more fully understand why men choose to use and their associations with use. The research team sampled men in Bagnibari village, Bangladesh, and questioned them on theirs as well as the community’s perceptions and use of tobacco and substances conducting a series of qualitative methods. Men within the study associated smoking…