'More boys than girls denied cigarette, bidi due to age'

Nitin Jain

Tribune news Service

Ludhiana, December 10

In another startling revelation, the World Health Organisation (WHO)-sponsored Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-4) has found that more boys than girls were denied sale of cigarettes and bidis due to their underage in the state.

MAJOR FINDINGS in survey

• Students denied smokeless tobacco: 100%
• Denied bidis: 80.4% (92.9% boys, 58.9% girls)
• Denied cigarettes: 53.8% (72.2% boys, 29.5% girls)

The study, conducted as part of the national survey by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a copy of which is with The Tribune, revealed that a total of 53.8 per cent of students in the age group of 13 to 15 years were refused sale of cigarettes because of their minor age by sellers in the state during the past 30 days. These students included 72.2 per cent boys and 29.5 per cent girls, of whom 74.9 per cent were from urban areas and 52.8 per cent were ruralites.

Similarly, 80.4 per cent of students were denied sale of bidi, which comprised 92.9 per cent boys and 58.9 per cent girls, of whom 82 per cent were from rural areas and 58.8 per cent were urbanites.

Interestingly, 100 per cent of students were refused sale of smokeless tobacco.

The survey also found that 32.1 per cent of students bought cigarettes as individual sticks in the past 30 days, which included 38.3 per cent boys and 23.6 per cent girls, of whom 35.3 per cent were ruralites and 31.9 per cent were from urban areas. Similarly, 17.2 per cent of students bought bid as individual sticks in the past 30 days, which included all boys, of whom 19.4 per cent were from rural areas and 17 per cent were urbanites.

Also, the study showed that stores were the major source of sale of tobacco products. As many as 87.3 per cent of students bought cigarettes from stores, which included 99.2 per cent girls and 78.7 per cent boys, of whom 89.8 per cent were ruralites and 40.2 per cent were from urban areas. Another 54 per cent of students took bidi from stores, which included 64.2 per cent girls and 48.1 per cent boys, of whom 55.6 per cent were from rural areas and 34.1 per cent were urbanites.

However, 24.8 per cent of students, including 30.6 per cent girls and 21.4 per cent boys, bought bidis from paan shops, of whom 25.1 per cent were from urban areas and 24.8 per cent were ruralites.

The survey also showed that 54.2 per cent of students, including all boys from rural areas, bought smokeless tobacco from stores while 45.8 per cent, including 100 per cent girls from rural areas, took smokeless tobacco from paan shops.

While 89.3 per cent of current cigarette smoker students, including 97.8 per cent girls and 83 per cent boys, of whom 91.8 per cent were ruralites and 51.7 per cent were from urban areas, bought cigarettes from stores, 96.4 per cent such smokers, including 98.3 per cent boys and 93 per cent girls, of whom 99.3 per cent were from rural areas and 59.2 per cent were urbanites, took bidis from paan shops or street vendors.

Those who bought cigarettes from ‘someone else’, were only 5.2 per cent of students, including all boys from rural areas.

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