Why in Broadcast?

• The WHO has recently released its comprehensive report on Tobacco Control Measures, which evaluates the global progress in curbing tobacco use since the introduction of MPOWER.

About MPOWER

• These are a set of measures intended to assist in the country-level implementation of effective interventions to reduce the demand for tobacco.
• They were established in 2008 and contain six strategies:

• Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies.
• Protect people from tobacco smoke.
• Offer help to quit tobacco.
• Warn about dangers of tobacco.
• Enforce bans on tobacco advertising.
• Raise taxes on tobacco products.

Key Highlights of the Report

• As per the report, worldwide smoking prevalence has declined from 22.8% in 2007 to 17% in 2021.
• Around 71% of the entire population (5.6 billion) remain protected by at least one of the measures.
• Further, the number of countries implementing at least one MPOWER measure has increased from 44 in 2008 to 151 in 2022.
• Four countries - Brazil, Turkey, Netherlands, and Mauritius - have implemented all the measures.

Second-Hand Smoke and Challenges

• The report focuses on second-hand smoking and highlights that, of the estimated 8.7 million tobacco-related deaths each year, 1.3 million are of non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.
• Second-hand smoke is been linked to almost 400,000 deaths due to heart disease and is one of the prominent causes of death among children.

Tobacco Consumption in India

• According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey India, 2016–17, around 267 million adults (29%) in India (15 years and older) smoke tobacco. In India, smokeless tobacco use is the most common type.
• It is one of the main diseases and causes of mortality in India, where it kills close to 1.35 million people annually. India ranks second in both tobacco production and consumption.

Report Highlights About India

• According to report, India excels in implementing health warning labels, putting health warning labels on tobacco products and providing tobacco dependence treatment.
• India has also banned the sale of e-cigarettes and banned smoking in healthcare facilities and educational institutions
• Regarding progress in tobacco control, the report makes special mention of Bengaluru and its effort in reducing 27% smoking in public places.

Way Forward

• Although India has made significant progress in curbing the prevalence of smoking. This progress so far is undermined by the tobacco industry’s aggressive promotion of E-cigarettes as a safer alternative to cigarettes.
• Smoking is not only harmful to person who does it, but to everyone around. It should be controlled along with secondhand smoking by creating smoke-free public areas and also de-normalising the act of smoking in society.