Tobacco.org

Kyrgyzstan: NGOs Tackling Growing Cigarette Use 

Jyldyz, a teenager living in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, doesn't smoke. But she says many people her age do -- and that cigarettes are getting more and more popular.

"Young people, most of them, think smoking is fashionable. But [cigarettes] don't make them more attractive. It doesn't improve their shape. It has no use at all. [Many teenage girls] are hiding to smoke -- behind trees, in lavatories, and in other places like that," Jyldyz said.

Smoking-related lung disease is the second-highest cause of death in Kyrgyzstan, after heart disease.

The problem has led a group of Kyrgyz NGOs to form "Smoke-Free Kyrgyzstan," a coalition dedicated to educating people -- particularly youth -- about the dangers of tobacco use."Young people, most of them, think smoking is fashionable. But [cigarettes] don't make them more attractive. It doesn't improve their shape. It has no use at all. [Many teenage girls] are hiding to smoke -- behind trees, in lavatories, and in other places like that."

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