According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India Report 2009-10, among the 34.6 percent current adult (15 plus age group) tobacco users, 25.9 percent use smokeless form of tobacco (206 million users).
Over 500 organisations have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly advocating the implementation of new pictorial warnings on all tobacco packs from April 1.
The appeal comes amid demands from tobacco companies for reconsideration of the government order to have pictorial warnings on both sides and covering 85 per cent of the pack.
Representatives of women groups, youth associations, hospitals, self-help groups and voluntary organisations were among those who sent 4000 signed letters to the PM.
Various eminent international public health organisations working on tobacco control and cancer issues had earlier written to Modi and Health Minister J P Nadda on the issue.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on October 15 last year had issued a notification directing tobacco manufacturing companies to devote at least 85 per cent of the surface areas of all tobacco products on both sides to graphically and literally represent the statutory warning.
The move had made India a top ranker in terms of display of caution on packages.
"India has become a trend-setter for neighbouring and many other countries on pack warnings with this announcement," said Bhavna B Mukhopadhyay, Executive Director of Voluntary Health Association of India.
Pakistan's Health Ministry on February 11 had announced new pictorial warnings covering 85 percent of the cigarette pack on both sides from the current 40 percent.
This measure will make Pakistan the third country in the world after Nepal and India to have enhanced pictorial health warning to 85 percent.
"Former Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil's who passed away February 16 undergoing treatment for an advanced form of oral cancer raises concerns about gutka and cigarette use," said Mukhopadhyay.
Tata Cancer Hospital's oral cancer surgeon Pankaj Chaturvedi said, "He (Patil) succumbed while being treated for advanced oral cancer. Every year, one lakh Indians are diagnosed with oral cancers and 50 per cent die within 12 months of detection.
"Consumption of tobacco and supari is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Indian men," he said.
A senior doctor from AIIMS said health warnings are meant to alert, encourage and support tobacco consumers in their decision to give up its use.
"The warnings are also intended to reach non-users, including children and youth, to discourage tobacco uptake. It has been demonstrated that picture health warnings are more effective than text-only warnings, especially for people who are illiterate. It has also been demonstrated that its effectiveness increases with size," he said.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India Report 2009-10, among the 34.6 percent current adult (15 plus age group) tobacco users, 25.9 percent use smokeless form of tobacco (206 million users).
Out of this, 30.7 % are rural and 15.0 % are urban users. Among the 20.3 % of female tobacco users, 18.4 % use smokeless forms of tobacco.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}