Worldwide an estimated ten percent of the students aged 13 to 15 years old smoke cigarettes. The highest number of student smokers is from European countries, which is around 19%. To add salt to injury, the number of female smokers is also increasing. The point of worry is these young smokers shall influence other youngsters to take-up smoking, as in this age of transition, it is quite natural to adopt bad habits.
The second point of worry is the ever-increasing female teenage-students smokers. These female smokers highly motivate both male & female student- smokers to enjoy the puff. In India also the trend is picking up with the easy availability of money to buy cigarettes. The pub & puff culture is rapidly encroaching our student’s moral & engulfing their vigour & strength. The greatest challenge at this point of time is to bring back the student smokers to mainstream of healthy practices.
In this context, parents, teachers, government & NGO’s have to work in tandem. The govt. has to declare a socially oriented policy without thinking the revenue loss. The revenue lost to-day can be made up to-morrow, but the students lost in smoking today may not be recovered tomorrow. The parents, coming out of their so-called busy schedule must shape the children to be away smoking & drinking. The teachers- who spent most of their times with students, must take the responsibility of a teacher, preacher & mentor.
If this can happen, the students shall definitely understand the long-term ill-effects of smoking & will be away from it. We know that as shall we seed, so shall we reap. So the foundation of the children must be laid strong enough with these three pillars to keep the students away from smoking. The NGO’s & other organizations working in this cause must work more effectively to de-adict the already addicted students. In India, the problem is in a budding stage, hence it must be addressed now & now only without further delay.