Tobacco cessation in India

Abstract

Tobacco use is the most common cause of non-communicable disease related morbidity and mortality worldwide despite being preventable. Almost fifty percent or more than seven million tobacco users get killed each year and about 13 percent of them are non-smokers being exposed to second hand smoke (1). According to the recent National family health survey (NFHS-4) study for the year 2015-16, there were 38.9% men who use any kind of tobacco in urban while 48% in rural areas of India. On the other hand, 4.4% of women in urban and 8.1% in rural use any kind of tobacco. Prevalence of tobacco use in the ages of 13-15 among boys was 19% and girls 8.3 % according to global youth tobacco survey of 2009. The tobacco dependence was considered as disease by the international classification of diseases (ICD 10). Proportion of tobacco related cancers in comparison to all other cancers were reported to be as high as 25% in men and 18% in women (2).