Abstract
Introduction
Tobacco use is associated with adverse health effects and is the prime cause of deaths globally, accounting for more than 7 million deaths annually. India is home to a substantial number of tobacco users, frequently characterized by people who are consuming smoke and smokeless tobacco, the synergistic effect of which accounts for a significant number.
Aim
This study aims to highlight and compare the recent trends in tobacco use in India and other countries based on the impact of parameters such as age, sex, occupation, level of exposure to tobacco, and tobacco taxation laws. It also intends to indicate the health hazards of tobacco use among men and women, explicitly highlighting its consequences on the reproductive health of women.
Methods
An organized literature review was executed using subject-specific research/review articles from the PubMed and NIH databases. Complete information on tobacco use prevalence was obtained using the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) and the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) reports.
Results
In recent years, tobacco users have been significantly reduced in response to modest tobacco control efforts in India, but its use is still widespread among middle-aged adults, less educated individuals and people living in rural and tobacco-cultivating areas of India.
Conclusions
Lack of awareness among people belonging to poor socioeconomic strata of the society, societal influence, and poor implementation of anti-tobacco laws could be the possible reasons for its widespread incidence. Hence, more rigorous anti-tobacco campaigns and widespread implementation of anti-tobacco regulations are the need of the hour.
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A.C. and S.R. drafted the manuscript based on the conceptual ideas of S.R. S.H. provided critical feedback and helped in shaping the manuscript.
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Chhabra, A., Hussain, S. & Rashid, S. Recent trends of tobacco use in India. J Public Health (Berl.) 29, 27–36 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01091-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01091-3
Keywords
- Tobacco
- Smoking
- Tobacco taxation
- Health hazard
- Socioeconomic status
- Reproductive health