The increasing number of youths resorting to smoking has always been a reason to worry, it is even scarier to know that an overall of 66% of people started smoking when they were between the ages of 18 and 25 years. But that's not it! The most shocking fact is that the youth is doing it to show off on social media. You heard it right, according to a bank survey, at least 38% young subjects smoked to "look cool" in social media pictures.
On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, ICICI Lombard General Insurance commissioned a unique survey — a study to assess the smoking patterns among the younger smokers. The survey was taken online by 1000 respondents across four metros conducted using a structured questionnaire. And the results were shocking!
For one thing, this phenomenon does not come with a gender bias as male and female, young respondents of both sexes are equally open to putting up smoking pictures on social media.
While 23% of the youth in this category upload their smoking pictures to look cool, 15% believe that uploading pictures on social media doesn’t send any wrong message. So much so, that the subjects, around half of them (43%), are upfront speaking to others about their smoking habit.
Commenting on the Survey, Mr Sanjay Datta, Chief-Underwriting, Claims and Reinsurance, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd. said, “Some of the youngsters believe that smoking makes them look cool. Smoking affects young adults and teens more profoundly. It decreases longevity, gives rise to critical illnesses and ruins their chance of a flourishing and healthy life.”
Even employability plays an important role in the number of students smoking in the country — as 37% of respondents said that smoking had increased after getting a job.
For 60% of the young respondents, it is a one-way road and it is extremely difficult to quit. Following which, they haven't even tried to quit. The other forces behind the youth sticking to smoking is daily stress (43%) and work pressure (49%).
For those who have attempted to quit, the survey once again proved that it is the family that stands by them during these difficult times.
