A study conducted in Rajasthan state has shown that a large number of youths prefer using tobacco products while at school, reports The Times of India.

According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-4), school is the preferred place for using tobacco products among students aged 13 to 15. After school (93.8 per cent), students prefer homes of friends (2.4 per cent), their own homes (1.1 per cent), social events (1 per cent), public places (0.9 per cent) and others (0.7 per cent) for smoking, the survey shows, according to The Times of India.
The survey also showed that the prevalence for tobacco consumption is lower in Rajasthan than the national average. On a national level, tobacco consumption of 13 to 15 year olds amounts to 8.5 per cent, whereas in Rajasthan it is only 4.1 per cent.
“Though the tobacco consumption among the 13-15 year old population in Rajasthan is much less in comparison to the national average, we are putting efforts to bring it to zero here,” said a health department official.
One hundred per cent of school principals questioned are aware of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act (COTPA), 2003 and according to the survey, 97.1 per cent of schools followed ‘tobacco-free school’ guidelines. The survey has again brought the problem of underage smoking to the forefront and calls for policy recommendations, such as anti-tobacco campaigns starting at primary school level when most students start using tobacco.