Tobacco Use

It is worth thinking about the deeper reasons that make people depend, often against their wishes, upon substances that ruin their health and their relationships

With over 186 million tobacco users in India, two in every three people who chew dry snuff tobacco the world over are Indians

The economic impact of cleaning up littered tobacco products fall on taxpayers, rather than the industry creating the problem and each year, this costs India about USD 766 million, the WHO said.

Nearly one-fifth of the students aged 13-15 years used some form of a tobacco product in their lives but the use has declined by 42 per cent during 2009-2019, according to a survey report

Tobacco use may lead to 10 million deaths per year across the world by 2030, National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR) Director Shalini Singh has said. She said the goal should be to provide every possible support to tobacco users in quitting and suggested increasing taxes on tobacco products to reduce their consumption in the country. "With the current pace of tobacco consumption, it has been estimated that about 10 million lives would be lost annually by 2030 and the use of tobacco would be the sole reason for it," Singh said in a statement. She said tobacco is not only burning a hole in the pocket of its users but it's also taking away their lives. Singh also suggested standardisation of smokeless tobacco products, banning sale of tobacco products in loose, and a stringent regulatory mechanism to control surrogate advertisements of smokeless tobacco products as necessary measures to reduce their consumption in the country.

Retailers even hold special events to showcase the cigar as a symbol of the high life, and guide new smokers on selecting, cutting, lighting up and smoking with panache

Hundreds of varieties of vape juice (with and without nicotine) and e-cigarettes are there in the market, mostly imported from China

Following a review of the potential public health benefits, the government introduced a policy that made plain packaging mandatory for cigarettes and rolling tobacco sold in the UK

Activists have hailed this move saying it will be helpful in implementing the laws to curtail tobacco use

With support prominent citizens, Sumitra is spearheading a policy-level campaign against tobacco

Tobacco use is more common among HIV-positive people than HIV-negative individuals