The tobacco menace is increasing in Uttarakhand as 12.2 per cent of students out of which 20.8 per cent boys between the ages on 13 to17 are consuming tobacco. This shocing statistics was revealed by Uttarakhand Youth Tobacco survey (UYTS) report released here on Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, the Additional Chief Secretary, S Raj said that the report suggests that more than 50 per cent of current tobacco smokers are frequent smokers. Raj assured that existing laws for prevention and control of tobacco use in youth would be implemented in letter and spirit in the State. He admitted that more stringent laws are needed to curtail the usage of tobacco in the society. Giving the example of Kerala -which is the leading state in the country in terms of per capita consumption of liquor- has resolved to implement total prohibition shows that stringent laws can be implemented.
The Director General of Uttarakhand Police, BS Sidhu informed that he has asked all the Superintendents of Police (SP) to ensure that there is no tobacco selling outlet within 100 yards radius of all educational institutions of Uttarakhand. He assured that he would ensure that figure of more than 20 Per cent students purchasing tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions in the survey will be shortly reduced to zero. Highlighting the social cost of tobacco usage which is very high Sidhhu said that there is need to build up a strong public opinion which would force government to bring more stringent laws against tobacco.
The President World lung Foundation, South Asia, Dr GR Khatri said that tobacco is a business which involves lowest cost and highest gain investment. He said that in India there are an estimated 275 million tobacco consumers out of which 3.1 million are in Uttarakhand. WHO predicts that tobacco deaths in India may exceed 4100 per day by 2020 and 30 tobacco related deaths could occur every day by the year 2020 in Uttarakhand unless urgent interventions are made.
A Renderio from WlF, New York shared his International experiences of tobacco control and lauded the efforts of Uttarakhand Tobacco Free Initiative (UTFI) in controlling the tobacco usage in the state. The Director Secondary Education, CS Gwal said that the department is committed to stop the menace of tobacco consumption in the schools of the state.
The survey revealed that 55 per cent of smokers studying in classes XI-XII spend more than Rs.10 a day on purchase of cigarette sticks. One of the startling revelation UYTS made was that 86.3 Per cent of people who ever smoked started smoking by the age of 15 years while 30.6 Per cent started before the age of 10 years. Furthermore, 20.8 per cent students purchased it inside 100 yards of schools indicating that acquiring of tobacco products by minors is relatively easy in Uttarakhand in spite of the regulation on sale to minors.