Health Minister hints at regulation on sale of tobacco

DR VARDHAN ADDRESSING THE WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY COMMEMORATIVE FUNCTION, IN NEW DELHI ON MAY 29, 2014

Describing the growing tobacco consumption in the country as a menace, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan called for regulation on its sale to achieve the goal of controlling non-communicable diseases in India.

"It makes perfect economic sense to regulate the use of tobacco in order to achieve the goal of controlling non-communicable disease in India”, the minister said while addressing the commemorative function on the eve of the ' World No Tobacco Day', here.

"We need to convince tobacco users of the grave ill effects of its consumption," he said, adding children can become the strongest messengers of positive health including giving up tobacco use. It is children, who, he said can convince, motivate and educate the elders to give up the use of tobacco andtobacco products,”

The Health Minister said for him, every day is an anti-tobacco day, where he tries to convince people about the effect its use has on their health.

On the occasion, the Health Minister released highlights of report on “Economic Burden of Tobacco Related Diseases in India” which estimated direct and indirect costs from all diseases caused due to tobacco use and four specific diseases namely, respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

The report highlights that tobacco use and the associated costs are creating an enormous burden for the nation. The total economic costs attributable to tobacco use from all diseases in India in the year 2011 amounted to a staggering Rs. 1,04,500 crore. Looking through GDP lens this is 1.16 percent of GDP and 12 percent more than the combined state and central government expenditure on health care in 2011.

He said: "I firmly believe that unless all of us come together and fight back tobacco resolutely, the financial burden of tobacco-attributable diseases will continue to push the families of millions of tobacco users towards poverty and steadily decelerate theeconomic growth of the country. We cannot and must not let that happen."

The report estimates direct and indirect costs from all diseases caused due to tobacco use and four specific diseases namely,respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

The Health Minister also unveiled a print advertisement featuring Mr Rahul Dravid, India’s Brand Ambassador for Tobacco Control.