Tobacco use in India: an Epidemic of Smoking, Chewing and Snuffing

Abstract

This is the review paper specifically touching upon the comprehensive aspects of general pattern of tobacco usage in India. The information on prevalent tobacco habits in India, health hazards and environmental hazards due to tobacco use, passive smoking and its impact, economics of tobacco, legislation to control tobacco in India, the tobacco cessation services and the way ahead for effective tobacco control are discussed. Tobacco use in India is as old as Indian civilisation and was very strongly embedded in Indian culture. Smoking among youth is in vogue due to slackening of stranglehold of rigid and orthodox Indian traditional behavioural diktats. Tobacco usage in India has gone through the ages and now exists in many forms – chewing, snuffing and smoking. Tobacco is a preventable cause of death and accounts for maximum number of killing after road accidents. This global epidemic kills more people than tuberculosis and malaria together. Understanding the tobacco problem in India, focusing more on measures and investigating the impact of sociocultural diversity and effectiveness of various modalities of tobacco control should be our priority.