Be brighter, put down the lighter
India is home to 12% of the world’s smokers
Mumbai, 30th May, 2016: About one million people die each year from tobacco-related diseases. By 2020, that number is expected to touch 1.5 million, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 31st May is observed as No Tobacco Day annually to spread awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption. Association of Hospital (AOH), one of the oldest healthcare associations, urges the populace to control, and gradually reduce tobacco usage.
Tobacco kills up to half of its users; around 6 million people die each year from tobacco consumption. More than 5 million of those deaths are the result of direct use of tobacco while more than 6, 00,000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to passive smoking. This year the WHO theme is ‘Get ready for plain packaging’ to decrease tobacco intake.
Suggesting measures to control tobacco consumptions, Dr. PM Bhujang said, “The government plays a major role in this direction. Advertisement campaigns, compulsion to insert warnings on cigarette packs, banning gutkha, prohibiting the advertisement for sale of tobacco products, levying high taxes on such products, and banning smoking in various places are some of the measures already taken. ‘Get ready for plain packaging’ will be another step in the right direction.
Healthcare Providers have a major role in educating people about hazards of tobacco use. There are several medical and counselling measures to help people who are addicted to smoking. Only condemning and criticising doesn’t help. Tobacco addiction is a serious problem and habitual tobacco users require professional support. Detecting early symptoms and signs of ill-effects of tobacco are crucial to tackle tobacco addiction.”
The usage of tobacco is a social and medical problem which could be eradicated if the general public is educated about its drawbacks. According to WHO, India is home to 12% of the world’s smokers. As of 2015, the number of men smoking tobacco in rose to 108 million, an increase of 36%, between 1998 and 2015.
