New Delhi, Jul 17 (KNN)  The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has launched a nation-wide National Tobacco Control Campaign called “Tears you apart.”  The Campaign aims to raise public awareness about the dangers of smokeless tobacco consumed by tens of millions of Indians every day.

Smokeless tobacco is the most-used form of tobacco in India among the lower socio-economic groups and women in particular, preferring smokeless tobacco over smoking forms. Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) found that 21 crore Indians use smokeless tobacco.
 
As many as 26 per cent of adults consume smokeless tobacco in India: 33 per cent of adult males and 18.4 per cent of adult females.  Smokeless tobacco includes: gutkha, zarda, paan masala, zarda, paan with tobacco, and khaini.

The campaign has been developed with technical support from the World Lung Foundation.

The campaign’s public service announcement (PSA) was filmed in B Barooah Cancer Institute in Guwahati, Assam and at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
 
The PSA features real victims who are suffering from horrific cancers and disfigurements as a result of their chewing addition. It also includes comments from relatives of victims, who describe how tobacco-related illnesses have destroyed careers, family life, and added to financial burdens.
 
The PSA graphically warns the public that tobacco can literally tear lives and families apart, and urges smokeless tobacco users to quit the habit.

The Campaign PSA is being released in 16 languages as a national campaign for pan-India coverage. It will make use of all national and regional Doordarshan channels and All India Radio and is expected to run for a period of 5-6 weeks.

Tobacco is the most preventable cause of death and disease in the world today.   It is a risk factor for 6 out of the 8 leading causes of death.  Globally, approximately 6 million people die each year as a result of diseases caused by tobacco consumption. If urgent action is not taken, the death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030.
 
It is estimated that nearly 8-9 lakh people die every year due to diseases related to tobacco use in India with 5500 new youth starting tobacco use every day. About 50 per cent of all cancers in males and 25 per cent of all cancers in females can be attributed to tobacco use. It is estimated that about 90 per cent of all oral cancers are caused due to smokeless tobacco use.

As per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey – India (GATS) conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 35 per cent of the adults in the age group of 15 years and above consume tobacco in some form or the other with 48 per cent males and 20 per cent females consuming tobacco.  Nearly, two in five (38 per cent) adults in rural areas and one in four (25 per cent) adults in urban areas use tobacco in some form or the other.

The campaign will support the on-going efforts of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for Implementation of the Food Safety and Standard Authority (FSSAI) regulation 2.3.4 which inter alia prohibits use of tobacco or nicotine in any food product.
 
About 33 states and Union Territories have issued instructions for implementation of the said regulation which prohibits production, storage and sale of gutkha and pas masala containing tobacco.  (PIB-KNN)