'90% who don't smoke in early age, won't pick up habit'

Lucknow: Highlighting that doctors are seeing a rise in the number of school kids using tobacco, director of Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr Anil K D' Cruz said there was 90% chance that children not addicted to tobacco in school may never pick up the habit in life.
Speaking at the foundation day of the general surgery department at the King George's Medical Universuty in the city on Wednesday, D' Cruz called for school level programmes to curb addiction and the effective implementation of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act.
"A global youth survey conducted on 25,000 teenagers between 13 and 15 years in 2006 showed the number of tobacco users has grown by 13% and in 2009 it had risen to 15%. The survey calls for need to hold school level programmes to check addiction," he added.
Citing example of California, D'Cruz said, "The state accounted for highest tobacco consumption in US. But strict laws changed the scenario." Experts also called for inclusion of a ban on chewing tobacco and beedi in COTPA and demanded higher taxes on them.