Tobacco Endgame

• 02 Aug 2022

For Prelims: Tobacco, WHO, WHO FCTC, Denicotisation, NFHS-5

For Mains: Tobacco - its impact and eradication measures

Why in News?

To fulfil its plan to be smokefree by 2025, the New Zealand Parliament recently tabled the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill.

• Emulating New Zealand, Malaysia is also considering a ban on smoking and the sale of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to people born after 2007.

What is the New Zealand's Bill on Tobacco Endgame?

• About:
  • The Tobacco Endgame refers to a policy approach that focuses on ending the Tobacco Epidemic, aiming at a ‘tobacco-free future’.
  • The Bill seeks three Strategies to reduce Smoking significantly or ending it.
  • If implemented, it will be the world-first legislation that will stop the next generation from ever being able to legally buy cigarettes.
• Strategies Proposed:
  • Drastically reducing nicotine content in tobacco so it is no longer addictive (known as “denicotinisation” or “very low nicotine cigarettes” (VLNC)).
  • A 90% to 95% reduction in the number of shops that can sell tobacco.
  • Making it illegal to sell tobacco to people born on or after 1 January 2009. (thus, creating a “smoke free generation”).

What is the Status of Tobacco Consumption?

• Globally:
  • The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year (as per the World Health Organisation), including around 1.2 million deaths from exposure to second-hand smoke.
    • Nearly one in four people across the globe use tobacco.
  • All forms of tobacco are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco.
    • Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide.
    • Other tobacco products include waterpipe tobacco, various smokeless tobacco products, cigars, cigarillos, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, bidis and kreteks.
  • Tobacco use is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, including cancer, lung disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
• Status in India:
  • 38% men and 9% women above 15 years of age use tobacco products, as per the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-21).
  • Women (19%) and men (51%) belonging to Scheduled Tribes are more likely to use tobacco than those from any other caste/tribe groups.
  • Among men as well as women, the use of tobacco is higher in rural areas (43% for men and 11 % for women) than in urban areas.
  • Nearly three-fifths of men and 15% of women with no schooling or less than 5 years of schooling use tobacco.
• Socio-Economic Burden of Tobacco Consumption:
  • Tobacco use contributes to poverty by diverting household spending from basic needs such as food and shelter to tobacco.
  • The economic costs of tobacco use are substantial and include significant health care costs for treating the diseases caused by tobacco use as well as the lost human capital that results from tobacco-attributable morbidity and mortality.
  • It is one of the major causes of death and disease in India and accounts for nearly 1.35 million deaths every year.
    • India is also the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco. A variety of tobacco products are available at very low prices in the country.
    • The total economic costs attributed to tobacco use (from all diseases in India in the year 2017-18 for persons aged 35 years and above) amounted to INR 177 341 crore.

What Measures have been Taken to Tackle High Tobacco Consumption?

• Global Initiatives:
  • WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC):
    • It was developed in response to the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic and is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health.
    • India has adopted the tobacco control provisions under the WHO FCTC.
  • World No Tobacco Day:
    • 31^st May is observed as ‘World No Tobacco Day’ every year to spread awareness around the deadly effects of tobacco consumption.
• India’s Initiatives:
  • Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003:
    • It replaced the Cigarettes Act of 1975 (largely limited to statutory warnings- ‘Cigarette Smoking is Injurious to Health’ to be displayed on cigarette packs and advertisements. It did not include non-cigarettes).
    • The 2003 Act also included cigars, bidis, cheroots, pipe tobacco, hookah, chewing tobacco, pan masala, and gutka.
  • Promulgation of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Ordinance, 2019:
    • It prohibits Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement of e-Cigarettes.
  • National Tobacco Quitline Services (NTQLS):
    • Tobacco Quitline Services have the potential to reach a large number of tobacco users with the sole objective to provide telephone-based information, advice, support, and referrals for tobacco cessation.
  • mCessation Programme:
    • It is an initiative using mobile technology for tobacco cessation.
    • India launched mCessation using text messages in 2016 as part of the government’s Digital India initiative.

Source: DTE