Schoolkids fall prey to smoking

RANCHI: Boys as well as girls in school uniforms, aged between 16 to 17 years, taking a puff at the cigarette while chatting with friends at a street corner, has become a common sight in the city. Such is the fad these days that students flaunt their liking for the deadly tobacco products even few metres away from the school premises.
Most youngsters try a puff or two initially thinking it is a fun thing to do.Soon, it develops into a habit. Principal of Jawahar Vidya Mandir A K Singh said, "Most youngsters start with trying a cigarette or gutka on their friends' insistence or just to experience some kind of adventure in life. They may find it to be a pleasurable experience in the beginning but when they get addicted, it proves to be fatal."
Singh also said awareness camps should be launched in schools highlighting the ill-effects of smoking or chewing tobacco. Such programmes will help in deterring students from getting addicted.
According to the findings of the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco use is the second biggest cause of death globally, after hypertension. As per WHO figures, one billion people are addicted to smoking .
"Consumption of tobacco in any form, either by chewing or smoking increases three fold chances of oral cancer. Out of 10 cases of cancer, four are because of consumption of tobacco," said a radiation oncologist at Apollo hospital Dr Akhtar Javed, adding that people who smoke not only harm themselves but others' health as well as passive smoking is equally harmful.
In the absence of an effective ban in the city, small traders are selling gutka in small packets that come for Rs 2 to Rs 10 per packet. The ban by the Jharkhand government on manufacture of chewable tobacco and its transportation, stocking, sale etc in July, 2012 has proved ineffective.