Despite a national decline in tobacco consumption, a concerning trend has emerged: smoking has more than doubled among teenage girls, according to the latest India Tobacco Control report by the Union Health Ministry. This uptick in adolescent smoking contrasts sharply with the decline in smoking among adult women, signaling a troubling shift in tobacco use demographics (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
The Health Consequences of Tobacco Use Among Young People

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The Smoke Spiral in Girls

The report highlights a significant increase in smoking among adolescent girls over the past decade. Between 2009 and 2019, smoking rates in girls rose by 3.8 percentage points, reaching 6.2%. In comparison, smoking among boys increased by 2.3 percentage points. This alarming rise in teen smoking occurs against a backdrop of a general decline in smoking among adults—by 2.2 percentage points in men and 0.4 percentage points in women.

The prevalence of smoking in girls (6.2% in 2019) far exceeds that in adult women (1.5% in 2017), suggesting that the next generation is increasingly susceptible to nicotine addiction.

Why Is Smoking Increasing in Girls?

Several factors contribute to the rising smoking rates among teenage girls:

• Early Maturation and Peer Pressure: Like their male counterparts, teenage girls are turning to cigarettes as a means to cope with stress, appear cool, and conform to peer pressure. Some perceive smoking as a way to suppress hunger and manage weight, further fueling the habit.




• Targeted Marketing: Historically, women have been an untapped demographic for tobacco companies. To exploit this, companies have crafted marketing campaigns that depict smoking as fashionable and empowering for women. This strategic targeting has been highly effective in drawing young girls into smoking.




• Media Influence: Despite regulations requiring warnings for smoking scenes in films and television since 2012, the rise of OTT platforms has circumvented these rules. Content on these platforms often features smoking without appropriate warnings, normalizing the behavior for impressionable teens.




• E-cigarettes and Misconceptions: E-cigarettes are often falsely marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes. Their easy availability online and in the grey market, coupled with lax age verification, has made them accessible to minors, despite being illegal, perpetuating the smoking habit.

Health Risks among Smoking Teenagers

The health risks associated with smoking are well-documented and severe:

• Respiratory Diseases: Smoking increases the risk of chronic respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and emphysema.
• Cardiovascular Issues: Smokers are at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. Women under 50 who smoke face an elevated risk of a specific serious heart attack due to the interaction of estrogen with cigarette chemicals.
• Reproductive Health: Smoking impacts fertility in both men and women and can lead to complications during pregnancy, including smaller fetuses, premature births, and birth defects. Smoking may also cause excessive bleeding during delivery.
• Cancer: Tobacco use is linked to DNA damage in cervical cells, increasing the risk of cervical cancer. A study by the American Cancer Society found that smokers have a higher mortality risk from breast cancer compared to non-smokers.
• Early Menopause: Women who smoke have a 43% increased risk of experiencing menopause before age 50 compared to non-smokers.
• The Closing Gender Gap: The gender gap in tobacco use is narrowing among adolescents. In 2019, 7.4% of girls and 9.4% of boys were tobacco users. Without effective interventions, the number of future smokers could rise, reversing current public health gains.

A Vision for 2040 :Anti-Tobacco Measure

The report includes a 2040 vision document outlining strategies to curb youth smoking. Key recommendations include:

• Tobacco Advertising Ban: Ensuring that individuals born after 2022 are not exposed to tobacco advertising or promotion.
• New Product Ban: Prohibiting the introduction of new tobacco products.
• Plain Packaging: Reinstating plain packaging to reduce the appeal of tobacco products.

The rise in smoking among teenage girls is a multifaceted issue requiring comprehensive strategies. Targeted interventions, stringent regulations on media depiction, and robust public health campaigns are essential to reverse this trend and safeguard the health of future generations. The 2040 vision offers a roadmap, but its success depends on coordinated efforts across society, government, and industry.

Reference:

1. The Health Consequences of Tobacco Use Among Young People – (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK99242/)

Source-Medindia