Smoking doubles among teenage girls in India, report says; Know the drastic health risks

Lina PortmanMay 28, 2024

0 2 minutes read

Updated May 27, 2024, 1:37 p.m. IST

A surprising new report released by the India Tobacco Control, under the Ministry of Health, has revealed worrying data which shows that smoking has doubled among young adolescent girls in India. According to experts, this increase can be explained by peer pressure, encouragement from friends or even cool and attractive marketing campaigns. Read on to learn about the long-term health implications this can cause.

Doctors Say Smoking Causes Horrible Immediate and Long-Term Health Problems in Teenagers

Smoking is not only a health warning but causes serious side effects, according to a recent report released by the Union Health Ministry. The study revealed worrying data showing that smoking has doubled among young adolescent girls in India.

Published by India Tabacco Control, the report said that while the numbers were increasing among adolescents, they had declined among older women. “Between 2009 and 2019, smoking among girls increased by 6.2 percent compared to boys. This increase is alarming, especially since adult smoking has declined, falling by 2.2 percentage points among men and 0.4 percentage points among women,” the report said. Furthermore, “the prevalence of smoking among girls far exceeds that of women, indicating a worrying trend of the younger generation becoming increasingly dependent on tobacco,” the report adds.

What is causing an increase in the number of teenage girls smoking?

According to experts, this increase can be explained by many reasons, including:

Parents of adolescent smokers
Encouragement and pressure from friends
Marketing campaigns that make smoking attractive
Wanting to try something new and attractive
Easy access to tobacco products
Mental health issues like stress and anxiety
Low self-esteem
Negative life experiences like psychological abuse
Substance and alcohol use

How does smoking affect a teenager's health?

Doctors say smoking causes horrible immediate and long-term health problems in adolescents, including:

Cosmetic effects like bad breath, smoke odor and yellow teeth
A chronic cough
Poor stamina
Increased risk of colds and flu
Increased risk of respiratory illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia
Cardiac disease
Stroke
Complete lung damage
Many types of cancer, including lung, throat, and stomach cancer.
Mental health problems like depression, irritability, agitation and anxiety
Shortened lifespan

Apart from this, it also causes:

Smoking causes chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other lung diseases.

According to doctors, smoking in adolescents leads to future reproductive problems and birth defects like cleft lip and cleft palate that occur when your baby's lip or mouth does not develop properly during pregnancy.

Smoking can also affect a teenager's ability to conceive and damage sperm DNA, increasing the risk of miscarriage.

Doctors say teenagers develop a lifelong addiction by smoking just 100 cigarettes. Studies indicate that 9 out of 10 adults who smoke daily tried their first cigarette before the age of 18. Apart from this, tobacco use in adolescence is associated with the use of alcohol and some other drugs commonly known as the “gateway effect”.

How to Help Teenagers Quit Smoking

Here are some steps you can take to help your teen avoid or prevent smoking:

Talk to them openly about smoking and vaping
Educate your teens about the dangers of non-traditional tobacco products like e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and hookah.
Discuss growing peer pressure and how your children may react when friends offer them a cigarette.
Maintain a smoke-free environment in your home