'54% youth take to smoking due to Bollywood, regional cinema'

PANAJI: Around 54% of youth and 30 % of general public take up to smoking due to the influence of regional cinema and , Bollywood a study by two health-related NGOs stated. 

Addressing a press conference, the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradicatoin (NOTE)-India and the Voluntary Health Association of Goa (VHAG) said that India's film industry plays a major part in the glamourisation of smoking, which is backed by a 30,000 crore tobacco industry. 

"There is no safe level for smoking. In the years to come, India and China will have the most tobacco-related deaths," said Shekhar Salkar, general secretary, NOTE-India. 

Gladstone D'Costa of VHAG, pointed out that filmmakers often cited creative freedom as reasons for them to portray smoking in films. 

"What is more important? The creative freedom of the film industry or the destruction of 114 lives every hour from tobacco related diseases?" he questioned. 

Salkar added, "All creative film directors should visit hospitals offering treatment for cancer and see the suffering the patients endure. Only when the film directors see these struggles will they be aware of the consequences tobacco has on human lives." 

Salkar further said that a survey conducted in Goa showed that the state has the least number of smokers. "We have 9% of our state, the least as compared to the rest of India," he said. 

Previously, it was Punjab who had occupied the top slot of least smokers with 15%. 

Also present at the press conference was Raman Kumar, writer and director of films and serials including the popular serial of yore - Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi. 

"India has a very high population of youngsters. Most of the population is below 30 years of age. This segment is very vulnerable and impressionable to what is shown on TV and movies," he said. 

With regard to NOTE's latest campaign; against the character of Aishwarya Rai Bachan smoking in the movie 'Guzaarish', Salkar produced a written reply from the film producers UTV. The reply stated: 'The scene is not meant to offend the sensibilities of any person and definitely not to encourage the youth to indulge in smoking or promote smoking in any manner. It is merely a creative requirement for the script.'


Courtesy The Times Of India