Tobacco use continues to be a big concern, with even youngsters becoming hooked on it. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), over one-fifth of youngsters aged 13–15 in India use tobacco products. According to the poll, 38% of cigarette smokers, 47% of bidi users, and 52% of smokeless tobacco users started using tobacco before the age of ten.

Mrs. Bhavna B. Mukhopadhyay, chief executive of the Voluntary Health Association of India, noted that the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016–2017 showed that 27 crore people consumed tobacco in India, while 12 lakh people die every year due to tobacco-related illness. She revealed that the average age for starting tobacco use in India is 18.7 years. Meanwhile, men start using tobacco at a younger age than women.

Prof. Surya Kant, head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at King Georges Medical University, explained that tobacco smoke emits harmful gases and chemical substances, of which nicotine and tar are prominent. He revealed that out of all the emitted substances, 70 are carcinogenic.

Dr. Abhishek Shukla, secretary general of the Association of International Doctors, revealed that those who smoke cigarettes are at an increased risk of addiction and associated problems. Bidi has a low amount of nicotine; hence, nicotine addicts need it again and again.

According to physicians, when someone smokes, 30% of the smoke from a bidi or cigarette enters the smokers lungs and 70% lingers in the surrounding environment, affecting passive smokers or those who smoke indirectly. 

(Source: https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/world-no-tobacco-day-more-minors-getting-addicted-to-tobacco-shows-study-123053100108_1.html )