WHO Says Proportion Of Mortality Attributable To Tobacco Is Higher Among Men Than Women
New Delhi: Almost two in five deaths among adults aged 30 years and above in India are caused due to smokeless tobacco.
According to WHO’s “Mortality attributable to tobacco report” released on Tuesday, globally 12% of all deaths among adults aged 30 years and over were due to smokeless tobacco in 2004 compared with 16% in India, Pakistan (17%) and Bangladesh (31%).
Direct tobacco smoking was responsible for five million deaths. Another six lakh people died from second-hand smoke. Over the next 20 years, the annual death toll from tobacco will be eight million, with more than 80% of those fatalities projected to occur in low and middleincome countries.
WHO says tobacco could kill over one billion people in the 21st century. Many think smokeless tobacco is safer than the smoking form. However, that’s not really true. Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said at Parliament last September that in India 70,261 people were detected with mouth cancer, tongue and hypopharynx due to “smokeless tobacco products”. Quoting data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the minister had said the numbers of those affected were rising — 66,129 in 2008 and 68,160 (2009). Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director of Voluntary Health Association of India, added: “2500 people die every day due to tobacco-related diseases in India. Display of harsher pictorial warnings on tobacco products is one of the most effective tools to reduce tobacco consumption. Chewing tobacco and g u t - k a contribute to 90% of oral cancer cases.” According to the Global Adult Tobacco India Survey (GATS), 21% of the country’s population is addicted to smokeless tobacco, and another 5% smoke as well as use smokeless tobacco.
It said: “Around 75% of the 275 million Indians consume smokeless tobacco products. A large number of children and youth in India are addicted to smokeless tobacco that contains nicotine and is highly addictive. There are 3,095 chemical components in tobacco, among them 28 are proven carcinogen.”
Among smokeless tobacco products, khaini is used the most, followed by gutka. Around 91% of female tobacco users use smokeless products like betel quid.
The WHO report added that the proportion of mortality attributable to tobacco is higher among men than women.
Globally, 5% of all deaths from communicable diseases and 14% from noncommunicable diseases among adults aged 30 years and above are attributable to tobacco.
FIRE WITH NO SMOKE
21% of India’s population is addicted to smokeless tobacco
Another 5% in the country smoke as well as use smokeless tobacco
Around 75% of the 275 million Indians consume smokeless tobacco products
Around 91% of female tobacco users in India use smokeless products like betel quid
A large number of children and youth in India are addicted to smokeless tobacco that contains nicotine and is highly addictive
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