12 per cent teens consume tobacco in U’khand: Survey

Dehradun:  A little over 12 per cent of teenagers across Uttarakhand consume tobacco products, a survey has found.
Releasing Uttarakhand Youth Tobacco Survey report here Friday, Additional Chief Secretary S Raju said a total of 12.2 per cent of teenage students in the state use tobacco products in their different forms especially smoking.
“Most of these students began tobacco use out of sheer curiosity or for fun,” he said.
A total of 64 per cent of the students from government inter-colleges covered under the survey said they started smoking for pleasure, Raju said.
The survey covered 3,080 students in the age group of 13 to 17 years studying in classes 8 to 12, he said. The survey was a joint initiative of Uttarakhand Tobacco Free Initiative, World Lung Foundation and the World Health Organisation.
Conducted in the year 2013, the survey also found that tobacco products were readily available near educational institutions.
The survey also found that a total of 20.8 per cent students buy tobacco products within 100 yards of their educational institutions. (PTI)