Srinagar, Feb. 23 -- By Gowher Bhat

In Kashmir, smoking isn't just a habit. It's part of life for our youth. They start young, just a drag to fit in, to look grown. But it doesn't stop there. It's the second, the third. Before long, it's part of who they are. The casual act, once done out of curiosity or rebellion, becomes a daily routine. They share it with friends, hidden in schoolyards or alleyways, the smoke curling up and dissipating into the air, a symbol of growing up.

Thirty percent of Kashmiri teens have smoked at least once. It's not a small number. And it's rising. The streets are full of it. Outside schools. On corners. In quiet parks. But it's killing them. Slowly. They don't see it. But we do. They laugh. They smoke. And e...