Srinagar, May 31 -- By Rayees Ahmad Kumar

A breeze of late spring rustles through the main bazaar of Anantnag as a group of schoolboys gathers outside a shop. One of them, barely 15, lights a cigarette. The others laugh, then follow his lead. No one stops them. The shopkeeper doesn't blink. A woman in a headscarf walks by, covering her nose.

This is Kashmir in 2025, where despite all the awareness, campaigns, and laws on paper, smoking in public remains as common as ever.

Every year on May 31, the world observes No Tobacco Day. The campaign started in 1987, when the World Health Organization called for a global pause - a day to reflect on the damage tobacco causes. In Kashmir, though, reflection often doesn't lead to action.

"We see p...