Tobacco Use Among Students and Youth: Measures Needed on War Footing

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The pervasiveness of tobacco use and accessibility among school students are widening the magnitude of this public health issue in Kerala, as two major studies aver. Studies by Regional Cancer Centre here and Kannur Medical College point to the enormity of the problem, substantiating demand by experts for measures on a war footing to control tobacco use initiation.
Over 70 per cent of higher secondary school students began tobacco consumption at the age of 15 in Kannur, while a high 60 per cent of this group found tobacco sales near educational institutions in rural Thiruvananthapuram.
Shoba Koshy, Chairperson, Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights said, “These startling findings of recent studies brought out by credible organisations underline the seriousness of the issue, and the need for immediate measures to alert this worrisome trend of high tobacco use and accessibility by youngsters in the state.”
“We can no longer settle for piecemeal measures; steps have to be taken on a war footing to ensure the health and well-being of our future generations. A combination of strong enforcement around educational institutions, regular reviews and awareness building at the grassroots has become imperative,” added this renowned advocate of child rights and welfare.
Prof. Dr.Elizabeth K.E, President, Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Kerala 2016 and former Professor of Pediatrics, SAT Hospital, Trivandrum Medical College said, “The World Health Organisation has termed tobacco as a global pediatric concern. Nicotine in tobacco is the most addictive substance in the world. Once initiated, it becomes very difficult to come off it; the key is to prevent initiation of tobacco use
by youngsters.”
The study by Kannur Medical College covering 775 students (336 boys and 439 girls) in two random pre-university schools of the Kannur in north Kerala also found that 41 per cent of the study subjects got tobacco products from a nearby shop, and around 27 per cent got it from friends. Nearly 79 per cent of surveyed students said that it was “fairly easy” and “very easy” to obtain these products.
Nearly 19 per cent of boy students between 15 and 18 years use tobacco in any form and the prevalence of smoking is a high 18.15 per cent, the study found. Dr Sushrit A Neelopant, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, and Dr D Shilpa, Department of Radiodiagnosis, of Kannur Medical College collaborated on the study. Titled ‘Tobacco Use among Pre-University Students in Kannur, Kerala: A Cross-sectional study’, it has been published in open-access, peer-reviewed International Journal of Scientific Study.
Meanwhile, the study conducted by Regional Cancer Centre including Dr Paul Sebastian, Director, and Dr R. Jayakrishnan, Associate Professor in rural parts of the capital district presents a similarly bleak picture.
Of the 1,114 students across 10 random Government schools surveyed, 7.4 per cent were ‘ever users’ or persons who have used tobacco at least once during the academic year under analysis. The survey was conducted in 2014-15 and the study “Tobacco and Alcohol Use and the Impact of School Based Anti-tobacco Education for Knowledge Enhancement among Adolescent Students of Rural Kerala, India published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Addiction.
The Indian tobacco control law COTPA, 2003 prohibits sale of tobacco products to and by minors, and around 100 yards of educational institutions.