40 million children aged 13 to 15 years using tobacco products globally: WHO
United Nations: The tobacco industry invests USD 9 billion every year to advertise its products targeting youngsters, with over 40 million children aged 13 to 15 years presently using nicotine items globally, the World Health Organization has warned.
The UN agency is focusing on spreading awareness among teenagers to mark World No Tobacco Day on Sunday.
"More than 40 million young people today aged 13-15, have already started to use tobacco," the WHO said, as it launched a kit for school students aged 13-17 to alert them about the marketing tactics of THE tobacco industry
"Every year the tobacco industry invests more than USD 9 billion to advertise its products. Increasingly, it is targeting young people with nicotine and tobacco products in a bid to replace the 8 million people that its products kill every year, the agency said.
Even during a global pandemic, the tobacco and nicotine industry is pushing its products, the WHO said, adding that these addictive substances limit people's ability to fight coronavirus.
"Educating the youth is vital because nearly nine out of 10 smokers start before 18 years. We want to provide young people with the knowledge to speak out against tobacco industry manipulation," said Director for Health Promotion at WHO Ruediger Krech.
In a bid prevent addiction among 13 to 17-year-olds, the agency has highlighted commonly used tactics to watch out for.
It points out that smoking e-cigarettes and hookah pipes -- marketed as "safer" alternatives to conventional cigarettes -- is harmful, addictive, and increasing the risk of developing heart and lung disease.
The WHO also noted that the 15,000-odd flavours of tobacco items which are sold -- such as bubble-gum and candy -- are introduced in the market to attract youngsters who are likely to become serious nicotine-users later in life.
Marketing strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic have included the offer of free branded masks and home delivery service during quarantine.
The tobacco industry has also lobbied for its products to be listed as "essential", the health agency said.
With the view to reach maximum young people, the WHO has also launched the #TobaccoExposed challenge on youth online platform TikTok, and welcomed social media partnerships with other platforms including Pinterest and YouTube.
The WHO has also launched a classroom activities kit that puts the students in the shoes of the tobacco industry to make them aware of how the manipulative tactics used by the industry.
"Countries can protect children from industry exploitation by putting in place strict tobacco control laws, including regulating products like e-cigarettes that have already begun to hook a new generation of young people," the WHO said.
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Court allows 5-day police custody of Bibhav Kumar in Swati Maliwal assault case
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court allowed five-day custodial interrogation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar in the Swati Maliwal assault case, sing the police remand was a "necessity" in the matter.
Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal was hearing the application of Delhi Police which was represented by Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava. The police had sought seven day custody.
It is alleged that Kumar, who is Kejriwal's personal assistant, assaulted AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the CM's residence on May 13.
"Considering the submissions made on behalf of both the parties, I find there is a necessity of police custody remand in the present case. Accordingly, the application moved by the investigating officer (IO) is partly allowed and the accused is remanded to police custody for five days," the court said in its order passed around 12:45 AM Sunday.
It noted the prosecution's submissions about the need to take Kumar to Mumbai and other parts of the national capital to collect evidence, which was not possible without the accused's custody.
"Admittedly, the case is at a nascent stage. Allegations made in the FIR are corroborated in her (Maliwal's) statement recorded by the magistrate on oath and further, it is again corroborated in the medico-legal case (MLC) of the victim or complainant," the court said.
The magistrate also observed, "I am aware of the view of constitutional courts that the opportunity must be given to the investigating agency to complete the investigation in order to reach the truth of the matter but at the same time the rights of the accused are also to be protected."
Asking the Investigating Officer to take Kumar into formal custody, the court directed his medical examination every 24 hours and said the investigating agency would not subject the accused to "any torture."
It also allowed Kumar to meet his advocate and wife for half an hour each during the police custody.
Kumar's application for providing requisite medicines was also allowed.
The proceedings which commenced around 9: 15 PM Saturday saw initial arguments by Srivastava following which the magistrate said, "I find force in the arguments of the APP (Additional Public Prosecutor) that there were sufficient grounds to arrest the accused without notice."
The prosecutor made several arguments, including those mentioned in the remand application and also that the "means or weapon" by which Kumar assaulted Maliwal had to be recovered.
The vehement counter-arguments by Kumar's counsels continued for more than one-and-a-half hours. One of his counsels, Rajiv Mohan, claimed that Maliwal had lodged the FIR "belatedly after deliberation and concoction."
The Delhi Police arrested Kumar earlier on Saturday and his anticipatory bail plea was subsequently observed as becoming "infructuous" by a Delhi court.
