NO TOBACCO DAY

Every year, on 31st May, the World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD).

Important points:

The theme for the World No Tobacco Day 2021 is “Commit to Quit”.
The WHO has honoured Indian Union health minister Harsh Vardhan with Director-General Special award for his efforts to control tobacco consumption in India.
His leadership was instrumental in the 2019 national legislation to ban E-cigarettes & heated tobacco products.
In India, over 1.3 million deaths are attributable to tobacco use every year amounting to 3500 deaths per day, imposing a lot of avoidable socio-economic burden.
In addition to the death and diseases it causes, tobacco also impacts the economic development of the country.
Smokers face a 40-50% higher risk of developing severe disease deaths from Covid-19.
As per the WHO study (Published in August 2020) titled “Economic Costs of Diseases and Deaths Attributable to Tobacco Use in India”.
It has been estimated that the economic burden of diseases and deaths attributable to use of tobacco in India was as high as Rs. 1.77 lakh crores, amounting to approx 1% of GDP.

Measures towards tobacco control in India:

India adopted the tobacco control provisions under WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
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: Which 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.
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.

Decline in Tobacco Consumption:

The prevalence of tobacco use has decreased by six percentage points from 34.6% in 2009-10 to 28.6% in 2016-17.
Under the National Health Policy 2017, India has set an ambitious target of reducing tobacco use by 30% by 2025.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Governments adopt and implement the tobacco control provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
It is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO.
It was adopted by the World Health Assembly (apex decision making body of WHO) on 21st May 2003 and entered into force on 27th February 2005.
It was developed in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic and is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health.

The FCTC’s measures to combat tobacco use include: