Smokefree India: Urgent Call to Address Youth Tobacco Crisis

Smokefree India urges delegates at WHO's COP11 to tackle India's youth tobacco crisis with evidence-based policies. Every day, 5,500 children begin using tobacco, with 28% smoking by adulthood. Key actions include enforcing bans near schools, integrating cessation support, and regulating nicotine alternatives.

Smokefree India has issued an urgent call to action ahead of the COP11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), highlighting the need to address the escalating youth tobacco crisis in India through evidence-based policies.

Dr. Pawan Gupta, a Senior Consultant in Pulmonary Medicine at BLK-MAX Super Specialty Hospital, emphasizes the lifelong damage inflicted by traditional tobacco, notably oral cancers and lung diseases, often stemming from teenage use. With 1.35 million annual deaths, the priority should be on preventing initiation, promoting cessation, and relying on scientific guidance.

Smokefree India's demands focus on enforcing existing bans, integrating youth-centered cessation programs, regulating nicotine alternatives, and eliminating conflicts of interest by divesting government shares in tobacco companies. Despite low vaping prevalence, discussions often overshadow the widespread availability of traditional tobacco products, particularly near schools.