Growing addiction to smoking can be one of the most painful public health concerns
specifically in the youth in India. The jump in the tobacco use among teenagers and adolescents causes a critical concern and demands immediate inclusive remedies.
The Scope of the Problem
The population of adolescents in India is one of the largest in the world, and a sizable number of them are already addicted to smoking. The Global teenagers Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2019 found that 8.5% of Indian teenagers aged 13-15 years currently consume tobacco. Millions of adolescents will now continue to have serious health problems and end up paying for smoking’s ill effects.
Causative Factors for The Rising Concern Of Smoking Addiction
The addiction to smoking is rising among Indian youth because of:
1. Peer Influence and Social Pressure:
Peer pressure along with an urge to mingle with others could be a strong catalyst to initiate smoking behaviour. What starts as an experimental behaviour may eventually become a full-fledged addiction; smoking is considered to be ‘cool’ or synonymous with social acceptance.
2. Marketing and Advertising:
The tobacco industry employs advanced marketing tactics, including personalized advertising, to lure young consumers into tobacco usage. Pretty below average pack designs, celebrity endorsements, and other smoke-related depictions make the use of tobacco appear fashionable and sophisticated among young people.
3. Lack Of Knowledge and Education:
Many of the youths are ignorant about the real health consequences of smoking. Those students that are subjected to poor health education in schools and communities lack necessary information and skill to resist peer pressure and to make good health decisions.
4. Socio-Economic factors:
Young people facing poverty, unemployment, and lack of education are more prone to tobacco use. These factors create a lot of stress and frustrations that the smokers use to treat with little self-control.
5. Easy accessibility:
Owing to its widespread availability such as cigarettes, bidis, and smokeless tobacco, it has made it very easy for youngsters to procure and try different tobacco products. This is further exacerbated by the poor enforcement of anti-tobacco laws and the sharing of application processes.
Impacts on Health
Addictions from Smoking have health implications that are very grave in young people. These include:
- Respiratory disorders due to smoking include asthma, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Cardiovascular diseases: Smoking is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as peripheral vascular disease, heart attacks, and stroke.
- Cancers: Smoking is a risk factor for several cancers, including lung, mouth, and bladder cancer.
- Immune System Weakness: It also weakens the immune system thereby increasing one’s vulnerability to infections and other diseases.
- Reproductive Health Problems: Smoking increases the chances of complications during pregnancy and reduces the chances of attaining pregnancy.
Addressing the Problem
Treatment plans for lifestyle interventions should be graded by health practitioners organized under community programs as well as schools whereby the following healthcare strategies can be part of the plan. With such targeted applications the adolescent smoking cessation problem can be tackled multidimensionally.
- Comprehensive Education Programs: Comprehensive health education programs presuppose that communities and schools should offer youths the health risks of smoking and ways to help them make wise decisions against peer pressure.
- Stronger Laws: Tougher legislation should be drawn up by Government, promulgated, and enforced on public smoking, for instance, prohibiting the selling of tobacco products to minors, raising the excise duties on tobacco products, and restricting advertisements and promotions.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Launch mass media campaigns with the focus on healthy lifestyles and to raise awareness with the hazards that are associated with smoking.
- Community-Based Interventions: Provide community-based organizations with support counseling services for young people addicted to smoking.
- Parental Involvement: Parents should watch closely what their children do, educate them about the dangers of smoking, and, at the same time, set a good example themselves by not smoking.
In conclusion
Addiction to smoking presents one of the most serious public health problems requiring an emergency reaction. But by laying the groundwork for comprehensive preventive and intervention programs, raising awareness among the public, and strengthening laws, we can win this battle and secure the health and well-being of our children.
