India, Lowest Consumer of Cigarettes Annually

Bangalore: Cigarette’s ill effects have been well advertised around the world, even then there are those who haven’t yet given up the habit. In an attempts to dish the bud out of the lives of the many addicted, constant efforts are being made. Also the research regarding cigarettes and its consumption are made on regular basis in and around the world.

In the 3rd edition of the Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report published by Canadian Cancer Society, it is stated that out of the 198 countries only 63 have used the pictorial warning on the cigarette packs including India. However, the number has increased from 34 in 2010. In the chapter ‘Tobacco Atlas’ of the report, its claimed that India has the lowest per capita consumption of cigarettes per annum estimating to 99 cigarettes, whereas Japan accounts to the highest number with 2028.

The report said, “There has been tremendous progress internationally in implementing package warnings, with many countries increasing warning size, more countries requiring picture warnings, and an increasing number of countries on their second, third or even fourth round of picture warnings. The worldwide trend for larger, picture health warnings is growing, with many more countries in the process of developing such requirements,” as reported by Hetal Vyas for TNN.

As informed by Dr Upendra Bhojani, faculty, Institute of Public Health, Bangalore, about the picture warning, he said “India might be doing better than other developed countries like Germany, Italy, Spain and Japan or even its best competitor country China when it comes to 'displaying' pictorial warnings on the tobacco product packets, but 'the pictures are either very small or meaningless.”
 

Also Read: Smoking: The Cause of 100 Million Deaths in India