Tobacco – Whose friend and who is friend with it?

Abstract

Abstract Tobacco use poses immense socio-economic and health burden on the world community. World No Tobacco Day initiative is earmarked on the 31st of May each year. It is an initiative to lead the fight against tobacco highlighting health risks associated with tobacco and advocating effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is an evidence-based treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization with 168 countries including India, signatories to it. WHO FCTC reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health, and proposes to develop regulatory strategies to address addictive substances stressing upon the importance of both demand reduction strategies as well as supply issues. The FCTC entered into force on 27 February, 2005. India's health warnings policy was drafted in 2006 and has undergone serial revisions. Packaging and labelling of tobacco products and tobacco advertising and promotion are a part of these strategies. Health warnings are required to be present over 40% of the front of all cigarette packages. Pictorial health warnings are considered to be a deterrent to young persons, uneducated/illiterate people and the women folk. There has been a recent debate on whether to increase the size of pictorial health warnings to 80% on both faces of tobacco product packs, and if there is a lack of Indian studies on the matter. There have been over a dozen studies from India in recent times, and the pictorial health warnings unanimously have helped in improving awareness, in helping think about tobacco cessation and also in quitting tobacco. In fact, larger pictorial health warnings and strict enforcement of laws to curb aggressive promotional strategies are the felt-need to act as a deterrent to the tobacco promotional strategies adopted by the tobacco lobby.