Top sporting personalities from the city — former cricketer V.V.S. Laxman, chief national badminton coach P. Gopi Chand and ace shuttler P.V. Sindhu — have joined hands to protect the youth of the country from the menace of tobacco products.
“Youth are the backbone of a nation. It is heartening to see youth icons pledging support to spread mass awareness against the use of tobacco to make young students aware of the repercussions of tobacco consumption and the need to stay away from any form of tobacco,” the stars said in a statement released by Voluntary Health Association of India and Indian Dental Association of India and Indian Dental Association (Deccan Branch).
“On World No Tobacco Day, let’s pledge to spread awareness on the risks of tobacco consumption and protect our younger generation from the menace of tobacco products,” Mr. Laxman said.
A Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) carried out by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare conducted among students in India revealed that 14.6% of those in the age group of 13-15 years are using tobacco in India. Of those, 8.1% of students smoked tobacco. As many as 11% of all male students surveyed were found to be users of smoking or smokeless tobacco, while 6% of female students used smokeless tobacco and 3.7% smoked tobacco.
Nearly 37% children in India start smoking before the age of 10 and each day, 5,500 children begin tobacco use. The findings of these studies highlight the need for targeted interventions among youth in general and students in particular, especially given the marketing overdrive of the tobacco industry to promote the use of tobacco among youth.
Every year, on May 31, World Health Organization and partners mark World No Tobacco Day. The annual campaign is an opportunity to raise awareness on the deadly effects of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure, and to discourage use of tobacco in any form.
