May 05 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi) Photo warning size matters: 46% of illiterate men smoke Sushmi Dey New Delhi:   Delaying large pictorial warnings on packs of tobacco products may have a serious impact on the health of those who are less educated and poor. A longitudinal study by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and University of Maryland has revealed about 46% of illiterate men smoke, while only 16% of college graduates are hooked to tobacco. For the uneducated, larger pictorial warnings could be a way to create awareness about the dangers of regular tobacco use.Moreover, smoking is concentrated among the lowest income group. Nearly 46% of the men in bottom fifth smoke compared to only 20% in the upper fifth. Findings of the study , which compared data of seven years, also show death rates are higher for daily smokers than for non-smokers or occasional smokers. About 11.3% of men aged 30 and above and who smoke daily died in the seven years, whereas only 10.2% of the non-smokers and occasional smokers died. Researchers at NCAER and University of Maryland compared the survey of 201112 with data collected during the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) in 200405. In the IHDS study , 41,554 households were surveyed in both urban and rural areas in all states and Union Territories with the excep tion of Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep, says Sonalde Desai, senior fellow at NCAER and professor of sociology at University of Maryland. During the latest survey , the same households were surveyed again. “We were able to re-interview about 83% of the original households,“ Desai said. For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com