World No Tobacco Day Feels Hollow In Kashmir. Here's Why.

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)

By Rayees Ahmad Kumar

A breeze of late spring rustles through the main bazaar of Anantnag as a group of schoolboys gathers outside a shop. One of them, barely 15, lights a cigarette. The others laugh, then follow his lead. No one stops them. The shopkeeper doesn't blink. A woman in a headscarf walks by, covering her nose.

This is Kashmir in 2025, where despite all the awareness, campaigns, and laws on paper, smoking in public remains as common as ever.

Every year on May 31, the world observes No Tobacco Day. The campaign started in 1987, when the World Health Organization called for a global pause - a day to reflect on the damage tobacco causes. In Kashmir, though, reflection often doesn't lead to action.

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“We see people smoking inside buses, hospitals, even schools,” said Dr. Shabir Ahmad, a Srinagar-based pulmonologist.“It's not just a nuisance. It's dangerous. Passive smoking is real.”

The numbers tell a grim story. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, nearly 35% of men and 3% of women in Jammu and Kashmir use some form of tobacco. That's higher than the national average. In rural belts, smoking is often seen not as a vice, but a norm.

In Pulwama, Fatima Jan, a high school teacher, said she routinely finds cigarette butts in the school courtyard.“We talk about awareness,” she said.“But these children already know smoking is harmful. They just don't care, or no one is stopping them.”

It's not just children. Travel on a bus from Qazigund to Srinagar and you'll likely spot the driver or conductor lighting up, even as passengers squeeze shoulder to shoulder.

Public transport is technically a no-smoking zone under Indian law. But few seem to enforce it, and fewer still seem to mind.

“I've asked drivers to stop smoking,” said Junaid Dar, a college student from Shopian.“They either ignore me or say I can get off if I have a problem.”

The health risks are well documented. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals. At least 43 of them are known to cause cancer.

Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, speeds up heart rate and raises blood pressure. Tar damages the lungs. Carbon monoxide reduces oxygen levels in the blood.

For pregnant women, the risks extend to their unborn children, from low birth weight to premature delivery.

And then there's the economic cost.

“Families spend hundreds, sometimes thousands, a month on cigarettes,” said Dr. Sheikh Muzaffar, a health policy expert.“In a place where basic healthcare is still a struggle for many, it's heartbreaking.”

The government has passed laws, many of them strong on paper. The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) prohibits smoking in public places, bans sale to minors, and bars advertisements. Schools are supposed to be tobacco-free zones. Shops can't sell within 100 yards of educational institutions. But enforcement remains weak.

During a walk through Lal Chowk, Srinagar's commercial hub, vendors openly sell Gutkha and Paan Masala from stalls just outside schools. Hookah bars continue to operate under the radar in smaller towns. Shopkeepers don't ask for age ID. And no one seems to be checking.

“There's a law,” said a police inspector.“But do we have the manpower to enforce it? We're stretched thin with law and order duties.”

Social pressure is just as absent. In some areas, smoking is almost a symbol of masculinity. In others, it's just habit.

There are exceptions. Some schools conduct morning assemblies with short speeches on tobacco. NGOs hold street plays. Doctors give lectures. On No Tobacco Day, there will be rallies and posters and loudspeaker announcements. But by June 1, the message usually fades.

So what works?

“Real change will come only when the community gets involved,” said Mohammad Ashraf, a social activist in Baramulla.“Imams in mosques, teachers in classrooms, parents at home - they need to talk, not just scold. Smokers don't need punishment. They need help.”

In Qazigund, a local commentator, believes the first step is empathy.“We must stop treating smokers like criminals,” he said.“Instead, let's help them quit.”

That might be the hardest part. Smoking isn't just a habit. It's an addiction. And in Kashmir, where stress levels are high and jobs are few, cigarettes often offer comfort - or the illusion of it.

Still, experts say small steps matter. Asking someone to put out a cigarette. Reporting illegal sales near schools. Creating safe spaces for young people to talk. Sharing stories.

Because even if the laws stay on paper, maybe the message can still find a way into people's lives.

• The writer is a columnist based in Qazigund, Kashmir.

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