The Tobacco Epidemic in India
- May 31, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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The Tobacco Epidemic in India
Sub: Science and tech
Sub: Health
Impact of Tobacco in India:
Health Impact | Environmental Impact | Economic Burden |
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Tobacco Use Surveys:
- The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), and National Family Health Survey (NFHS) track tobacco use in India.
- GYTS assesses tobacco use in students between the ages of 13 and 15 years and GATS and NFHS in people above 15 years of age.
- These surveys show a general decline in tobacco use, except for an increase in tobacco use among women by 2.1% between 2015-2016 and NFHS 2019-2021.
- No surveys have been conducted since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Law to control tobacco use in India
1. Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA) |
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2. Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2020 |
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3. National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), 2008 |
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4. mCessation Programme |
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5. Other important initiatives |
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6. International Convention |
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Implementation Issues:
- Many smokeless tobacco products do not comply with COTPA packaging guidelines.
- Smuggled tobacco products are poorly regulated.
- Fines for COTPA violations have not been updated since 2003.
- Surrogate advertisements are used to indirectly promote tobacco, as seen in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Legislative Amendments:
- Proposed amendments to COTPA in 2015 and 2020 aimed to regulate surrogate advertisements, include films and video games in advertisement definitions, and increase fines, but were not passed.
- The NTCP’s effectiveness is questioned due to insufficient staffing, resources, and monitoring.
Tax Evasion and Affordability:
- Excise duty on tobacco faces tax evasion through smuggling, illicit manufacturing, and counterfeiting.
- Low tobacco taxes and increasing incomes have kept tobacco affordable.
- A 2021 BMJ Tobacco Control study reported increasing affordability of cigarettes, bidis, and SLTs over the past decade.
Tax and Lobbying:
- The tax burden on tobacco products in India is lower than the FCTC recommendation of at least 75%.
- The tobacco industry argues high taxeslead to tax evasion, but weak governance and other factors are also significant.
- Lobbying by the tobacco industry influences policy, with government officials often involved in the industry post-retirement.
- The Central government holds a 7.8% stake in ITC Ltd., India’s largest tobacco company.
Source: TH