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World No Tobacco Day on May 31. Tobacco Evil on Rise: more than 50% boys targeted, even 7-year-old girls on target. Join the campaign: Beat Tobacco, work on the cause & support friends

World No Tobacco Day Today
Tobacco Evil on Rise: more than 50% boys targeted, even 7-year-old girls on target
Join the campaign: Beat Tobacco, work on the cause & support friends
More than 50 per cent of school boys in the state consume tobacco and overall per cent of tobacco users in the age-group of 15 to 17 continues to hike up, as noted in the latest findings of National Health Findings Survey of India and Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted by World Health Organisation (WHO).
Shockingly, girls in the state start smoking cigarettes at an average age of seven years while boys get into it at an average age of 11.5 years, as noted by National Health Mission.
As we step towards becoming cleaner, greener and healthier as a city and country, it is evident that we must fight the evil of tobacco that kills 1.2 million in India and raises economic cost of INR 1773.4 billion (USD$ 27.5 billion).
Sadly, tobacco is rising its poison among school students as there has been a marginal rise in tobacco users in the age group of 15 to 17 years in Madhya Pradesh. Similar trend is seen in Indore, where at least 36.3 per cent boys consume tobacco and 4.6 per cent girls do the same.
In MP, 6.5 per cent urban schoolgirls and 11.6 per cent rural girls consumer tobacco. The figures among boys is worse, as at least 35.3 per cent urban school boys and 50.8 per cent rural school boys consume tobacco.
On May 31, 2023, WHO and public health champions around the world will come together to celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) where this year's theme is “We need food, not tobacco”. We support the campaign and urge our readers to campaign and say No to Tobacco.
Here is the current view
“Current use” is determined by respondents indicating that they have used a tobacco product on at least 1 day during the past 30 days.

Current Tobacco Product Use Among High School Students in 2022 -23

Tobacco Product

Overall

Girls

Boys

Any tobacco product†

16.5%

17.6%

15.3%

Electronic cigarettes

14.1%

15.4%

12.8%

Cigarettes

2.0%

1.8%

2.3%

Cigars

2.8%

2.1%

3.5%

Smokeless tobacco

1.6%

0.9%

2.3%

Hookah

1.5%

1.3%

1.7%

Nicotine Pouches

1.4%

0.8%

2.1%

Heated tobacco products

1.1%

1.0%

1.3%

Pipe tobacco

0.7%

0.5%

0.9%

Current Tobacco Product Use Among Middle School Students in 2022-23

Tobacco Product

Overall

Girls

Boys

Any tobacco product

4.5%

5.3%

3.8%

Electronic cigarettes

3.3%

4.1%

2.5%

Cigarettes

1.0%

1.1%

0.8%

Cigars

0.6%

0.6%

0.6%

Smokeless tobacco

0.7%

0.6%

0.7%

Hookah

0.5%

0.6%

0.4%

Nicotine Pouches

0.5%

0.4%

Heated tobacco products

0.7%

0.7%

0.6%

Pipe tobacco

0.3%

0.3%

9/10 cancer deaths due to Tobacco
“Nine out of 10 deaths caused by cancer are due to consumption of tobacco. In India, 7300 people die every year because of passive smoking. Under Indian Council of Medical Research’s Cancer Registry Data Report on “National Cancer Registry Programme Report, we also found that 54% of total cancer reported in male is because of consumption of tobacco while 17% to 18% of total cancer reported in females is because of consumption of tobacco in Madhya Pradesh. It is time to gear up and change this trend now.”
Dr Saket Mittal
Cancer Specialist
Isolation & stress often influences youngsters
“There are many social and physical environments that influence youngsters to use tobacco, sometimes even for better sports performance. However, in today’s culture, it has become more of a trend because of mental health issues. There is a strong relationship between youth smoking and depression, anxiety, and stress. Many children, now living in nuclear families, often being an only child, isolate themselves. They feel, they must do everything alone. This results in pressure that often leads them into escapism and seeking ways to solve things. Often, they feel tobacco helps, at least it lets them escape.”
Dr Krushna A Chaudhari
Consultant Medical Oncologist
Some common factors for kids getting trapped in tobacco
Lower socioeconomic status, including lower income or education.
Not knowing how to say “no” to tobacco product use.
Lack of support or involvement from parents
Accessibility, availability, and price of tobacco products
Doing poorly in school
Low self-image or self-esteem
Seeing tobacco product advertising in stores, on television, the Internet, in movies, or in magazines and newspapers
How to beat Tobacco?
Find the reason for smoking and work on solving it
Ask your doctor about all the methods that will help, such as quit-smoking classes and apps, counselling, medication, and hypnosis.
Consider Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Lean on your loved ones.
You can exercise to blow off steam, tune in to your favourite music, connect with friends, treat yourself to a massage, or make time for a hobby. Try to avoid stressful situations during the first few weeks after you stop smoking.

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