WHO Warns India on Tobacco Use

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

DECCAN HERALD

                                                                            
 Sunday, May 31, 1998



             WHO warns India of growing epidemic of tobacco use

                                    NEW DELHI, May 30 (PTI) 

On the occasion of World Tobacco Day tomorrow, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) has issued a grim warning to India on the perils of
tobacco use that claims over 6.3 lakh lives in the country every year. 

India has one of the world`s highest incidence of oral cancer that
accounts for one-third of all cancers in the country. Tobacco is
responsible for half the cancers among Indian men and a quarter of all
cancers in women. Its use has been linked to 25 diseases including
cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and respiratory and paediatric diseases
according to the WHO. Many still-births, low- birth infants and parental
deaths have been reported among female tobacco chewers in India. 

In a message, WHO Director, Uton Muchtar Rafei cautioned against the
tobacco industry`s attempts to target the huge population of South-East
Asia which is viewed as a lucrative market by the tobacco lobby.
Tobacco-related deaths are increasing in the South-East Asian region where
tobacco consumption has increased rapidly among all population groups,
especially women, the young and poor, he noted. 

The WHO chief has warned of the growing global epidemic of tobacco use
that causes a person to die every ten seconds.  WHO estimates that tobacco
causes 3.5 million deaths worldwide. Over 13 million people are estimated
to light up a cigarette or chew tobacco every minute of the day somewhere
in the world. 

By the year 2020, tobacco is expected to cause more premature death and
disability than any single disease, and kill 10 million of the 1.1 billion
smokers in the world. The public health crisis is worsening, with children
in South- East Asia beginning to smoke by 11 and becoming daily smokers
before the age of 18, WHO says. 

Its theme this year, ''growing up without tobacco``, focuses on children
and youth. Of major concern is the extensive use of tobacco products in
South-East Asian region, with a high content of nicotine and tar. These
include beedi which is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan,
and kretek that is widely used in Indonesia. 

In India, one-fifth of tobacco production is consumed in smokeless forms
with more than 20 million people chewing paan or paan masala, WHO
statistics show. mishri, snuff, betelquid, cheroot, keeyo, gundi, gudakhu,
and gutka, are other widely-consumed products in the region. 

WHO says nearly 17 million tobacco-related deaths will occur in developing
countries, especially in South-East Asia which is home to one-quarter of
the world`s population. The prevalence of tobacco consumption now ranges
between 55 and 80 per cent of adult men and 3.0 to 71.7 per cent among
women. 

According to WHO, India is the world`s third largest tobacco producer,
with production estimate coming about 576,200 metric tons. The country
manufactures about 100 billion cigarettes and 850 million beedis. 

PROHIBIT TOBACCO ADS: Advocating a 10-point programme for more effective
tobacco control, WHO says tobacco advertising should be prohibited in all
forms, and tobacco prices should be raised to put a higher barrier between
youth and easy access. 

Tobacco sales should be banned for children below 18 years and economic
alternatives to tobacco growing and manufacturing should be promoted.

                   'Growing up without tobacco' - anti-tobacco
                                   drive's new mantra



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