WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY

World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on 31 May. This yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies. The Member States of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. The day is further intended to draw attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects, which currently lead to more than 8 million deaths each year worldwide, including 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.

There are different forms of tobacco: smokeless and smoked. Smokeless tobacco includes snuff, moist snuff and chewing tobacco. The latter two are also known as oral tobacco. Moist snuff is also called snus. Tobacco is used in a number of smokeless forms in India, which include betel quid chewing, mishri, khaini, gutka, snuff, and as an ingredient of pan masala. Betel quid is a combination of betel leaf, areca nut, slaked lime, tobacco, catechu and condiments according to individual preferences. SLT consumption is related with several health issues such as oral cancers, cardiovascular diseases, low birth weight and mental illnesses

Smoked tobacco includes pipes, cigars, and cigarettes. The pH of tobacco in pipes and cigars is high, i.e. more alkaline, therefore nicotine is absorbed in the oral cavity. Cigarette tobacco is more acidic which means that in order to absorbed the nicotine is must be inhaled into the lungs.

Smoking causes 20-25% of cardiovascular diseases, 30% of cancer. Mostly, lung cancer (90%) but also cancer of the pancreas, urinary bladder, larynx, oesophagus and cervix, 75% of chronic respiratory diseases- chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

There are approximately 120 million smokers in India. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India is home to 12% of the world’s smokers. According to a 2002 WHO estimate, 70% of adult males in India smoke. Among adult females, the figure is much lower at between 13–15%. About 90% of children under the age of 16 years (10th class) have used some form of tobacco in the past, and 70% are still using tobacco products. Smokeless tobacco is more prevalent than cigarettes or bidis in India.

According to the study, "A Nationally Representative Case-Control Study of Smoking and Death in India", tobacco will be responsible for 1 in 5 of all male deaths and 1 in 20 of all female deaths in the country by 2010. This means approximately 1 million Indians would die annually from smoking by 2010. According to the Indian Heart Association (IHA), India accounts for 83% of the world's heart disease burden, despite having less than 20% of the world's population.

On this special day let’s take the pledge to quit tobacco whether in smoke or smokeless form and let’s help people in quitting tobacco. Let’s educate people about the ill effects of tobacco and help building a tobacco free society.