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A recent report discovered a new tendency among teenagers. According to a report initiated by US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and supported by the World Health Organization percentage of young smokers grows globally. This rate impresses not only through its purport, but also through its predisposition to grow up, especially for girls.

Report showed that in India children aged 13-15 years around 17.3 % are male smokers and 9.7 % are female smokers, but if compare with age group of 18 to 49, 32.7 % are male smokers whereas only 1.4 % are women, this problem seems to be more dramatically.

Dr Vinay Hazare, Dean, Nagpur Dental College, said they got 2,000 patients annually, of which 600 have tobacco related problems. Hazare added that this number has boomed among the young population recently and there were cases when they found cigarette packets and Gutkha pouches at school going kids.

European smoking pictogram is also far of being qualified as excellent. Report shows that in European Union countries teenage girls are more likely to smoke than teenage boys. In developing countries even the usage of tobacco products by women is low, in last years were registered increase in rate.

Teenagers motivate their habit as something that makes them cooler and mature.

“Smoking gives you a bold look. It gives you a great feeling. I mean after smoking whatever tension you have, it gets relieved,” said Bhagyashri Vishwe, aspiring model.

”I like smoking. It's a passion. And it gives a glamorous look. That's why I smoke. What's wrong with it? Everybody does it,” said Rupa Rao, another aspiring model.

The problem is that even it was prohibited any kind of tobacco advertising or promotion, smoking is promoted through cinema by actors.

“Smoking incidents are increasing in both boys and girls and it's increasing in metropolis. In spite of awareness campaigns by many, it is on the increase probably because they try to follow some of their idols, cine actors, even their fathers who are smokers. The sons want to try when the father isn't at home by keeping a pencil in his mouth and get the feel. They think it's a kind of a macho figure,” said Dr Narasimhan, Senior Respiratory Physician, Apollo Hospital.