Why is it in the news?

• India loses 1.3 million people annually to tobacco use, Union health secretary Apurva Chandra said on Friday while raising awareness about the severe threat its continuous use poses to public health.

More about the news:

• Speaking on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, Chandra said: “With 13 lakh (1.3 million) preventable deaths annually, tobacco poses a severe threat to public health.
• India’s decisive actions and key focus areas for tobacco control initiatives in 2024 include strict enforcement of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003, intensified awareness campaigns, and creating a tobacco-free environment.”

The current situation regarding tobacco consumption in India:

• The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) –
• shows a decreasing trend in tobacco use among adults aged 15 and above in India, except for a rise among women from 2015-2016 to 2019-2021.
• shows a decrease in tobacco use among students aged 13-15 years.
• The National Family Health Survey (NFHS), capturing tobacco usage data for individuals aged 15 and above, aligns with the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), showing a downward trend in tobacco consumption overall, except for an increase among women.

Hazards of tobacco consumption:

• Health Implications of Tobacco–
• Tobacco addiction, the leading cause of preventable death and disability worldwide, claims millions of lives annually, with India alone accounting for 1.35 million deaths yearly as the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco, contributing significantly to the global toll of 8 million deaths, including 1.35 million from India.
• The number of women smokers is rising, posing additional risks such as adverse pregnancy outcomes, female-specific cancers like breast and cervical cancer, and increased cardiovascular dangers.
• Environment Effects of Tobacco-
• Emission of Greenhouse Gas: More than 84 megatons of GreenHouse gas emissions occur in a year.
• Contamination of soil and water: Tobacco contaminates soil and water due to toxins and contamination of soil by the micro plastics in the cigarette butts and single use non-biodegradable pouches and e-cigarettes.
• Deforestation: More than 60 million trees are chopped down to make cigarette.

Efforts to curb tobacco consumption:

• WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC): is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO which was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2003 entered into force on 27th February 2005.
• India ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2004, marking its commitment to the world’s first international public health treaty targeting tobacco control.
• The FCTC’s measures to combat tobacco use include:
• Price and tax measures.
• Large, graphic warnings on tobacco packages.
• 100% smoke-free public spaces.
• A ban on tobacco marketing.
• Support for smokers who want to quit.
• Prevention of tobacco industry interference.
• Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA): The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) of 2003 replaced the Cigarettes Act of 1975, broadening its coverage to encompass a range of tobacco products including cigars, bidis, chewing tobacco, and pan masala.
• The National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP), initiated in 2007, aims to enhance the enforcement of COTPA and FCTC, raise awareness about tobacco’s harmful effects, and support tobacco cessation efforts.
• The Government has also developed and deployed a mobile-based strategy called m-Cessation (011-22901701) to encourage and support those who are desirous of quitting. In this strategy, those desirous of quitting give a missed call to a toll-free number.

Reducing the impact can involve:

• increasing public awareness,
• imposing high taxes on tobacco products,
• enforcing strict laws against public smoking,
• banning all forms of tobacco advertising,
• providing comprehensive support for quitting,
• penalizing tobacco companies for environmental harm,
• assisting tobacco farmers to transition to sustainable crops, and
• integrating health education into schools while offering cancer screenings for both smokers and those who have quit for early cancer detection.