QnA with Sri Sri

Q: Please guide us. Nowadays the use of pan parag, ghutka, tobacco etc., has increased a lot in children, grownups as well as in ladies. How can we stop this?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is primarily the responsibility of the mothers. If from the beginning the mothers place restrictions on their children, then they will never resort to such wrong means. What usually happens is that the mothers let the children go free these days. In childhood days itself, mothers and fathers should create such barriers in the minds of the children in the house. Children should be made to think that they should not even touch tobacco.
In vegetarian homes, the parents create a strict barrier in the minds of the children at the very beginning, not touch non-vegetarian food of any kind, eggs, meat or fish. When this becomes a strict habit in the minds of the children at an early age, then they never even go near non-vegetarian food. So in the same way, parents need to enforce strict barriers in the minds of the children against chewing tobacco, smoking and drinking alcohol.
I want to ask all of you sitting here. Haven’t you all been warned against using drugs or smoking? Is it not so? How many people here have got this strict barrier at their homes by their parents against drugs and smoking? (Many raise hands in the audience). See! So many people have been made to follow the right habits since their early days. In childhood itself such barriers have been made for them not to touch or use such substances. Only mothers can do this and enforce these barriers on the children; otherwise bring the children here and make them attend the courses for seven to ten days. We will ensure that all their wrong habits get washed away with ‘Sohum’ (referring to the Sudarshan Kriya). And we will strengthen them by making them practice the Shakti Kriya also.