Tobacco consumption every year takes tremendous toll on public financing in India costing the exchequer billions of rupees. Tobacco consumption is the single biggest killer in the country with thousands of deaths reported each year that is directly related to tobacco usage. Nowhere its devastating impact is more pronounced than among the poor where tobacco usage is rampant and access to quality health care is severely limited.
Effective tobacco control as such should be a top priority of the Government as it can lead to both elimination of poverty and manage the grave heath issue facing the country. Reports have studied multiple determinants of tobacco consumption including socio-economic status, marriage, population growth, marketing strategies, and price. The most troubling thing is that tobacco consumption in India shows no signs of abating despite plenty of efforts put in by the government as well as different NGOs. Every year government brings in new legislation to desist tobacco advertising and consumption, though it seems to have limited impact as far as tobacco consumption is concerned in India. Experts and policymakers feel that more visible and aggressive anti-tobacco campaigns are needed to deal with the scourge and the resultant disaster it brings. Efforts need to be made to increase public awareness about how tobacco ruins both heath and financial conditions, and how kicking up the habit can benefit the individual as well as the society. Enough has been said and written about the interconnection between tobacco intake and poverty in the country. Where the country is lagging is the uniform application of tobacco control measures, wherein everyone is clubbed together despite the fact that there’s a high-risk target group. In India, nearly 300 million people live in extreme poverty, and amongst them, 30 % of the population consume tobacco. The situation continues to worsen with continuing consumption of tobacco amidst the poor strata of the society.
Tobacco use among the poor and the poverty it breeds is cyclical in nature as more consumption amongst the poor leads to more poverty owing to different types of deadly tobacco-related diseases. Health care costs is not limited only to direct medical costs but also indirect morbidity and mortality costs. What exacerbates the situation is shrinking government expenditure on health, which today stands at a paltry 1.15% of gross domestic product. Add to that limited exposure to insurance or any other type of coverage, and it is easy to understand why health expenditure is mostly out of pocket in India. Tobacco use in India is projected to have devastating consequences with tobacco-related diseases breeding both disease and poverty.
India has 29 states and 7 union territories, all with their own unique culture differences, traditions and habits. In India, tobacco is used as cigarettes, beedis, or consumed orally in form of guthka and khaini. Cigarettes are available as filtered/unfiltered, etc., whereas Beedi is an indigenous form of tobacco product, made with 0.2 to 0.3 g of tobacco wrapped in temburni leaf and tied with a small string. Tobacco that is consumed orally is the biggest cause of oral cancer.
India’s expected population growth by 2020 will be about 300 million, which makes youth a highly lucrative target group tobacco industry. Cigarette companies are using innovative marketing strategies to target the vulnerable group. They are constantly looking for ways to circumvent harsher becoming tobacco control laws, including distributing free cigarettes.
Comments