The finding that tobacco consumption increases with age is a matter of concern. In addition to their clinical work, dental professionals should also educate the public on the hazards of tobacco and conduct tobacco cessation programmes for adolescent groups to control the tobacco epidemic.

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India is fast emerging as one of the worlds's preferred medical tourism destinations. It is estimated that the size of the Indian medical tourism market may reach between USD 50 and 69 billion by the year 2012. In the present competitive environment, it is highly desirable to extend quality service to medical tourists so that market share can be retained or improved. This paper attempts to develop an instrument to measure the international patients' perception towards the quality of service provided by the selected hospitals. The instrument covers 36 variables over 10 dimensions. The results indicate that respondents perceive accessibility/convenience and treatment satisfaction as most important dimensions. However, improvement in the aspects of medical visa assistance and tie-up with international insurance company is needed to improve customer satisfaction.

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