The Hindu Business Line : Sixth graders blow it most

Urban students studying in grade six are using more tobacco than students in grade eight, according to a study. The project Mobilising Youth for Tobacco Related Initiative in India, which covered 32 schools, finds that 6.7 per cent sixth graders use tobacco (in the form of gutkha, bidis or cigarettes) as opposed to 2.2 per cent of eighth graders.

According to Monika Arora, Director, Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth and Student Health Action Network (HRIDAY-SHAN), this is primarily due to psychosocial factors and a lesser exposure to the harmful effects of tobacco use, and greater vulnerability to social norms and tobacco advertising.

Awareness drive

HRIDAY-SHAN, which has partnered with the University of Minnesota and the Tamil Nadu Voluntary Health Association, Chennai, for this programme has been working with schools across 10 States to create health and anti- tobacco awareness. Its model for generating awareness through education and ownership through youth activism has been recommended for replication by the World Health Organisation.

The rebel inside

According to Dr K. Srinath Reddy, Honorary Executive Director of the organisation, "The natural rebelliousness of the adolescence that questions adult wisdom can be effectively redirected to critique short-sighted policies, making the youth an active stakeholder in policymaking."

A Global Youth Meet on Health is being organised from November 14 to 19, which is to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. More than 10,000 students and 200 youth leaders from more than 40 countries are expected to attend and discuss issues related to diet and nutrition, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol addictions, environment and road safety.