Experts urge stringent action to make India tobacco-free

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - There is an urgent need to increase the funds earmarked for tobacco control and proper implementation of existing laws to make India tobacco free, health experts and doctors say.

World Health Organization (WHO), quoting the Global Adult Tobacco Survey India 2016-17, said about 267 million adults in India are users of tobacco.

The global health body said that tobacco use is one of the biggest public health threats in the country, with diseases stemming from its use costing the government up to $27.5 billion in the year 2017-18.

On Smoking Cessation Day on Wednesday, Indian public health expert Sonu Goel discussed the situation in the country regarding the use of tobacco.

"If we compare 2009-2010 and 2016-2017 Global Adult Tobacco Survey report, there has been a 6% decline in the number of tobacco users," he said.

He recalled the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which says that tobacco industry's representatives cannot meet government officials without following full protocols.

"It is again a good practice not being followed by many countries," he said.

Goel said non-communicable diseases due to tobacco use are increasing in India and elsewhere in the world.

According to the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, a state-run initiative, 27.1% of cancers reported in the country in 2020 were related to tobacco use.

- Challenges

Goel said that the country is facing several challenges on account of the fight against tobacco use.

The biggest challenge is the misinformation spread by the tobacco Industry and the top echelons of power, he said.

Parsadi Lal Meena, the health minister in India's Rajasthan state, recently said tobacco is unrelated to cancer.

"We need to stop spreading such wrong information especially by decision-makers which has a huge impact on the general public," said Goel.

The health expert also cited funding as a major problem. "There are very few funds available for tobacco control because we have all other programs and tobacco control takes a backseat sometimes. Unless you have funds, you can't work aggressively," he said.

The National Health Policy 2017 in India includes the aspect of tobacco control and sets out the target for achieving a 30% relative reduction in the prevalence of tobacco use by the year 2025 from the levels in 2009-10.

Dr. Rakesh Gupta, director of Public Health, Strategic Institute for Public Health Education and Research in northern India, told Anadolu Agency that tobacco and nicotine in any form has severe health problems.

"It is responsible for 27% of all types of cancer and also causes loss to the environment such as deforestation, pollution, litter, forest fires, etc.," he said.

He said in the country non-communicable diseases are a major (61.8%) cause of death. "Out of this, 48% of cardiovascular diseases, 23% of chronic respiratory diseases, and 10% of cancer deaths are attributed to tobacco use," said Gupta.

By quitting smoking one can lengthen life expectancy, he said, adding that India has strong laws which should be enforced to ensure a tobacco-free country.

Goel echoes the views. "Political commitment and proper implementation of existing laws are needed," he said.