The Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2016 was published on June 5 by the Mauritius Health Minister Anway Husnoo in relation with the World No Tobacco Day.

The study was conducted among 2072 young students in various schools. It has enabled the searchers to conclude that 16% of the young people aged 13 to 15 were smoking on Mauritius Island.

This represents more than 21% of the boys and 6% of the girls aged 13 to 15.

The cigarette is the source of many pathologies linked to tobacco use. It is therefore a true threat everywhere in the world. Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, the minister for Education was asked to comment. She underlined that advertising in the tobacco industry was now banned but that the efforts must be pursued. “You must say no to cigarettes and take care of your own health, only this will enable you to succeed”.

These figures are all the more worrying when we discover than almost 30% of these young smokers say they have been exposed to cigarettes at home. And 30% of them stated they have been initiated to smoking before the age of 12. The report clearly indicated that cigarette use starts when children and teens ignore tobacco’s wrongdoings on human health as well as the addictive effect of nicotine.

Mauritius Island needs to fight against tobacco use

Numerous awareness campaigns that have been conducted over the past few years have been unsuccessful. Smoking prevalence among young people remains at the same levels due to a strong accessibility of cigarettes and tobacco products. The sale of cigarettes to minors is forbidden as well as retail distribution. But 51,2% of the students who took part in the survey were able to purchase cigarette or other tobacco products.