Over 50 p.c. of pre-university Bangalore students are smokers - The HinduFebruary 18, 2009Nagesh PabhuRules to discourage tobacco use have had no impact on youth -At least 18 colleges had tobacco selling points-Many students influenced by peer pressureThe findings of a study, conducted by the Institute of Public Health (IPH), Bangalore, this year, shows that over 50 per cent of pre-university (PU) students pursuing courses in arts and humanities are smokers.The rules and advertisements to discourage the use of tobacco products by the youth have had no impact on students in Bangalore.The study revealed that 58.9 per cent of students of arts and humanities, followed by 30.6 per cent and 10.6 per cent students of science and commerce streams, respectively, use tobacco products.The study was conducted in two stages in Bangalore’s 19 PU colleges on 1,087 students of first year PU (53 per cent) and second year PU (47 per cent). At least 18 colleges had one or more tobacco selling points within 100 yards of their campus. The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2005 prohibits sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of any educational institution. As much as 55.8 per cent of students said that peer pressure had influenced them to use tobacco products.More than 30 per cent said their teachers were smokers, while 31.74 per cent said that at least one parent used tobacco products. Cinema influence as much as 18 per cent felt the need to smoke or consume tobacco when they saw film stars smoking or chewing gutka in films, IPH’s Upendra Bhojani, who conducted the study under the guidance of the Institute for Social and Economic Change, told The Hindu.
Source: The Hindu
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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February 26th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Its a significant and shocking report which shows the extent to which tobacco usage has become a fad rather than a much indulged drug practice alone. Stronger and consistent anti-tobacco campaigns especially thorough both print and electronic media are the need of the hour.Discouraging the sale of tobacco products in the college premises will surely help but more initiative to launch a powerful voice against tobacco usage, from within the college community ,can prove to be of help as well.
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:14 am
SUBJECT: LEAD BY EXAMPLE
I agree with the previous commment:
“Shocking report”
The most striking is: “More than 30 per cent said their teachers were smokers”, which means a significant part of these teachers smoke within the school headquarters or show evident tobacco related health detrioration signs. As long as this figures stands it won’t possible for youth to take a different attitude towards tobacco.
If educational system wants to tackle the tobacco problem in the youth, it will need to crackdown on its own smoker staff, as they behave as a role model for youngers. They represent one of the closest and most important authority role model after family.
Smoking bans signs and expensive media campaigns are pretty useless if this important role model don’t comply with the rules and adopt a smoke free lifestyle.
As an EMSA (European Medical Students Association) delegate, main coordinator of EMSA tobacco policy paper I would like to promote EMSA effort on tobacco policies, that, for obvious reasons, are focused on health care students.
Health care students are the YOUTH that will be at core of tobacco addiction prevention and treatment in the near future. Therefore, they should deserve special attention as far as anti-tobacco efforts, so they can lead by example for the entire society.
Concerned to this particular topic, I would like to reccal point 4 of EMSA tobacco policy paper:
EMSA STRONGLY URGES all EU Member States to introduce, implement and enforce comprehensive smokefree
legislation in teaching (…) including outdoor restrictions (…).
I hope I can present more of EMSA commitment towards tobacco control.
Best regards,
Miguel