According to figures revealed by WHO, the World Health Organization tobacco consumption among the Indian youth is on the alarming stage. They had warned over the increasing occurrence of smoking habit among youngsters, which in turn led to a spike in cases of oral cancer.

WHO shows that tobacco consumption among, children aged between 13-15 years has gone up to 5.8 percent in case of males and 2.4 in case of females. WHO also revealed that around 16.2 percent is the overall tobacco consumption is noticed among children. Prasad Oak who is the counselor at the Anandvan Bahuddeshiya Sanstha expressed his views, he said that usually children adapt habits from their parents, so if parents consume tobacco, there is a possibility that children might adapt that habit.

He claims that children living in slums consume tobacco from very early age because there it is not considered as a bad habit as they watch that their adults are involved in consumption of tobacco. Their adults themselves don't know the evils attached with the tobacco. WHO identifies and pay attention to another danger which arises from consumption of chewable tobacco in the form of mawa, pan masala and gutkha. All this can lead to oral submucous fibrosis, a pre-cancerous lesion. Kalyan Gangwal, founder member of the Sarva Jeev Mangal Pratishthan, said that many youngsters are found suffering from submucous fibrosis.