Smoking in India
In India, the current prevalence of smoking among adults aged 15 years and older was estimated to be 9.3% in 2024, reflecting an increase from 8.1% in 2020. The current smoking prevalence among adult males was significantly higher with 16.7% in 2024, compared to 1.4% among adult females. This gender disparity has been consistent, as in 2020, the prevalence among males was 14.4% and 1.40% among females. The total number of smokers in 2024 was approximately 100,2 million individuals, showing an increase from 80,481,112 in 2020. For reference, the adult daily smoking prevalence in 2017 was 8.6%, with a prevalence of 15.2% among males and 1.7% among females. Smoking-related mortality remains a significant health concern in India, with 1,048,266 deaths recorded in 2021. This accounts for 8.92% of all deaths in the country. Of these deaths, 233,679 were recorded among female, representing 4.59% of all female deaths, while 814,587 were male, accounting for 12.23% of all male deaths. These data underscore the ongoing public health challenges posed by tobacco smoking in India, highlighting the necessity for effective public health measures to reduce smoking prevalence and its associated mortalities.
Read articles from India
December 03, 2021 by indiatimes.com
Are bans good public policy in India?
We find a strange adherence and affection for the prohibition of products in our country even though such products are allowed to be manufactured and traded legally worldwide. As a consumer, we strongly feel bans can be placed on products and related services only if there is a risk that they may cause serious injury, illness, or death. Globally, countries are engaged in harmonising laws and standards to promote Universal Quality and Safety Standards in the interest of public health. It has been well documented that bans have done little to protect the consumer, rather they encourage accelerated growth of contraband products.
November 30, 2021 by tribuneindia.com
Tobacco use among women up four times, men down 33%
In a startling revelation, the use of tobacco among women has gone up four times in the state during the past five years, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) has confirmed.
In contrast, men have started showing reluctance towards use of tobacco as it has come down by 32.81 per cent between 2015-16 and 2020-21, the national survey conducted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has revealed. However, the use of tobacco among both women and men in Punjab was much below the national average.
The development assumes significance as the initiatives undertaken by the state government against the use of tobacco have started showing positive results.
October 26, 2021 by thewire.in
Despite FDA Approval, E-Cigarettes Need To Remain Banned in India
The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved the marketing of e-cigarettes, reigniting a debate around the world, including in India, on whether the ban on e-cigarettes and vaping is justified.
Multiple groups in India have hailed this approval as an acceptance of the notion that vaping is a suitable alternative to smoking and in the best interest of public health. Those in favour of vaping have argued that it is a good tobacco alternative that will help people quit smoking. Those still opposed to the idea have contended that it is more dangerous than other tobacco alternatives, [...]
October 20, 2021 by indiatimes.com
94% Rajasthan students use tobacco products in schools: Survey
Most students in the age group of 13-15 years smoke or use tobacco products in schools in the state, according to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-4) released on Monday. After school (93.8%), students prefer homes of friends (2.4%), own homes (1.1%), social events (1%), public places (0.9%) and others (0.7%) for smoking, the survey shows.
IIPS professor Murli Dharan said the survey was conducted in 34 schools which have 2,735 students. Around 90% of the children said that they developed the habit of tobacco consumption from schools.
August 19, 2021 by indiatimes.com
Can India push some fair laws on tobacco?
Titled, The Tobacco landscape in India: An argument for harm reduction, the study has triggered some interesting thoughts for India’s big tobacco market and what it called its persistent and multifaceted problem.
So what did it say? It said a third of the Indian population uses both combustible and smokeless forms of tobacco, products available in an array of varieties. To cut such use, the government has pushed different tobacco control laws since the 70s but implementation is a big crisis.
August 04, 2021 by indiatimes.com
Smoking habit initiated early in life can be more harmful, say experts
India is slowly witnessing a decline in smoking, owing to the pandemic. While this news brings a lot of hope, there is still a whopping 367 million tobacco users in India with7.7% ‘bidi’ smokers. So, a lot more people at still at risk of developing Cancer and other diseases related to smoking.
What’s worrying is that majority of the regular smokers of tobacco, marijuana, and bidi include young adults. Many teenagers and adolescents fall victim to smoking without being fully aware of the repercussions on their health. What starts as a feeling of ecstatic joy, eventually becomes and addiction and a lethal weapon.
June 29, 2021 by indiatimes.com
Can India look for safer nicotine products?
I found conversations at the Global Forum on Nicotine – held earlier this month in Liverpool – very interesting, experts repeatedly highlighting the vital role of safer nicotine products in the fight to reduce global smoking-related death and disease.
They have reasons to be worried. Nearly four million people have died from the pandemic, a devastating figure that is, sadly, less than half the annual death toll from smoking. [...]
June 04, 2021 by tribuneindia.com
‘India home to 12% of world’s smokers’
“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India is home to 12 per cent of the world’s smokers. There are approximately 120 million smokers in India and more than 10 million people die each year due to tobacco in India,” said Dr Suresh Goyal, senior consultant of pulmonary medicine at Ivy Hospital, in an online awareness session. He said smoking affects almost all organs of the body. “It causes various types of cancer, like mouth, lungs, food pipe, kidney and pancreas etc. It leads to heart diseases, stroke, lung diseases (asthma and COPD) and various eye problems.
May 31, 2021 by outlookindia.com
India Scored A Self-Goal With Its E-Cigarette Ban
Amid mounting evidence pointing to the relative safety of e-cigarettes compared to combustible ones, India’s ban on the former appears to be on shaky ground. Celebrated by many in the tobacco control field, India with much ado banned the sale of e-cigarettes two years ago. The decision was taken to protect the country’s youth following news from the US about alarming rise in teen use, with the final straw being the spate of deaths there due to e-cigarettes.
May 21, 2021 by businesstoday.in
Why e-cigarette ban in India will do more harm than good
In September 2019, the government announced a complete ban on e-cigarettes under the guise of preventing potential health risks to India's youth. In what can now be termed as typical, this ruling was passed as an ordinance, without debate or deliberation in the parliament and mostly ignoring both evidence regarding health risks and lessons from India's multiple previous disastrous experiences with bans. About 1.5 years and a pandemic later, it is time to revisit the (de)merits of the ban and possible ways forward.