74 per cent children in Kerala use tobacco, reveals study

A Shajahan, Secretary, state Department of General Education said, "Even while accepting that the sample veers towards a severe end of the spectrum, the findings regarding use of tobacco among children is highly disturbing."

"All educational institutions in the state have to take a note of this and strictly enforce laws of the land along with spreading awareness. Concerted action is the need of the hour; nothing should be left to chance,"he said.

P Vijayan, DIG (Intelligence) and State Nodal Officer of the 'Student Police Cadets' and 'Our Responsibility to Children? projects said, tobacco use is a beginning to deviant behaviour and an entry to crime among all hardened criminals of today.

"One of the purposes of the SPCs is to equip and empower students to resist societal malaises such as substance abuse.

Student cadets are also specifically trained to help in identifying the sale of tobacco and other harmful substances around schools," he said.