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| Heart Disease :: Tobacco use & smoking |
| GLOBAL BURDEN |
| Tobacco use is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. |
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There are more than one billion smokers in the world. |
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Globally, use of tobacco products is increasing, although it is decreasing in high-income countries. |
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Almost half of the world's children breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke. |
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The epidemic is shifting to the developing world. |
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More than 80% of the world's smokers live in low- and middle-income countries. |
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Tobacco use kills 5.4 million people a year - an average of one person every six seconds - and accounts for one in 10 adult deaths worldwide. |
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Tobacco kills up to half of all users. |
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It is a risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of deaths in the world. |
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| Because there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, the epidemic of disease and death has just begun. |
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TOBACCO USE IN INDIA |
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There are about 120 million smokers in India |
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Among adults (age 15-49), almost one-third (28%) of the population use tobacco products, with 57% males and 11% of females using some form of tobacco.2 |
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Among youth (age 13-15), 4% smoke cigarettes (boys 5%; girls 2%). |
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Almost 12% of youth use other types of tobacco products (boys 14%; girls 8.5%). |
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If current trends continue tobacco will account for 13% of all deaths by 2020 |
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| Each year tobacco use kills about 1 million Indians |
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Bidis are the most popular tobacco product used. Bidis comprise 48% of the tobacco market, chewing tobacco 38% and cigarettes 14% |
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Bidi and cigarette smokers die 6 to 10 years earlier than their non-smoking counterparts. |
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Smoking 1-7 bidis a day, for example, raised mortality risks by 25 percent while smoking an equal number of cigarettes daily doubled the risk of death to 50 percent. |
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Smoking, alone, may soon account for 20 percent of all male deaths and 5 percent of all female deaths among Indians between the ages of 30 and 69. |
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27% of youth (age 13-15) are exposed to secondhand smoke at home, while 40% of youth are exposed to secondhand smoke in public places |
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Tobacco smoking accounts for 82% of Chronic obstructive lung disease in India. |
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HEALTH CONSEQUENCES |
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Cigarette smoking by young people leads to immediate and serious health problems including respiratory and non-respiratory effects, addiction to nicotine, and the associated risk of other drug use. |
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Smoking at an early age increases the risk of lung cancer. For most smoking-related cancers, the risk rises as the individual continues to smoke |
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Cigarette smoking causes heart disease, stroke, chronic lung disease, and cancers of the lung, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, and bladder |
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Use of smokeless tobacco causes cancers of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus; gum recession; and an increased risk for heart disease and stroke |
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Smoking cigars increases the risk of oral, laryngeal, esophageal, and lung cancers. |
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| NICOTINE ADDICTION AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE |
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The younger people begin smoking cigarettes, the more likely they are to become strongly addicted to nicotine. Young people who try to quit suffer the same nicotine withdrawal symptoms as adults who try to quit |
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Several studies have found nicotine to be addictive in ways similar to heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. Of all addictive behaviors, cigarette smoking is the one most likely to become established during adolescence. |
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Among high school students who are current smokers, 51% have tried to quit smoking cigarettes during the 12 months before the survey |
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KEY MESSAGES |
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Tobacco control presents a unique challenge to the Indian government owing to its complexity. |
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The Indian government has included control and regulation of tobacco as part of its policies since the Cigarette Act, 1975. |
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In 2003, The Central Government passed the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act |
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(COTPA) applicable to all tobacco products. In 2004, India ratified the FCTC, the international public health treaty and one of the first 8 countries to do so. |
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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the pilot National Tobacco Control Programme in 2007 in 9 states of the country covering 18 districts. In 2008, it was extended to 42 districts across 21 states. It includes setting up of state tobacco control cells, sensitization of stakeholders, training programmes, cessation initiatives and development of IEC materials among other steps. |
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Most recently, all public and workplaces have been declared smoke free following the rules which came into effect from 2 October 2008. In addition, picture health warnings have become mandatory on all tobacco products from 31st May 2009. |
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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Labour have initiated pilot programmes on alternate cropping and skill-based vocational training of bidi workers to take up alternate livelihoods, in several settings across the country. |
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© 2007 All rights reserved.
Chronic Care Foundation, E-520, IInd Floor, Palam Extn., Near Ramphal Chowk, Sec-7, Dwarka, New Delhi 110 075 (India)
Phone: + 91 11 25087853,
Email: ceo@chroniccareindia.org |
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All donations are exempt under section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961 vide order no. DIT (E) 2008 – 2009/C-985/3424 dated 31/03/09
for the period from A.Y. 2010-11 to A.Y. 2012-13
Public Charitable Trust Registered in New Delhi vide No.10692/4 Dtd. 21.12.2006
FCRA Registration Number- 231661163 (Nature: Educational Social)
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