Indian journal of cancer
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Indian journal of cancer · Oct 2012
Tobacco use and cessation counseling in India-data from the Global Health Professions Students Survey, 2005-09.
Tobacco use by health professionals reflects the failure of healthcare systems in protecting not only beneficiaries of the system but also those involved in health care delivery. ⋯ Tobacco control policy, cessation training and initiatives to help students quit smoking should be undertaken.
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Indian journal of cancer · Oct 2012
ReviewMPOWER and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control implementation in the South-East Asia region.
The 11 member states of WHO's South-East Asia Region share common factors of high prevalence of tobacco use, practice of several forms of tobacco use, increasing prevalence of tobacco use among the youth and women, link of tobacco use with poverty, and influence of tobacco advertisements in propagating the use of tobacco, especially among young girls and women. The effects of tobacco use are many-fold, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates as well as loss of gross domestic product (GDP) to respective countries. The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia has been actively involved in curbing this menace essentially by way of assisting member states in implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This paper gives an overview of these activities and discusses the opportunities and challenges in implementing the FCTC and possible practical solutions.
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Indian journal of cancer · Oct 2012
Profile of dual tobacco users in India: an analysis from Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2009-10.
Individuals who use both smoked and smokeless tobacco products (dual tobacco users) form a special group about which little is known. This group is especially relevant to India, where smokeless tobacco use is very common. The aim of this study was to characterise the profile of dual users, study their pattern of initiation to the second product, their attitudes toward quittingas well as their cessation profile. ⋯ Dual users constitute a large, high-risk group that requires special attention.
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To comprehensively review the issues of smokeless tobacco use in Sri Lanka . This review paper is based on a variety of sources including Medline, WHO documents, Ministry of Health and Nutrition, Colombo and from other sources. ⋯ The prevalence of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in Sri Lanka has been reported high, especially among rural and disadvantaged groups. Different smokeless tobacco products were not only widely available but also very affordable. An increasing popularity of SLT use among the youth and adolescents is a cause for concern in Sri Lanka. There were evidences of diverse benign, premalignant, and malignant oral diseases due to smokeless tobacco use in the country. The level of awareness about health risks related to the consumption of smokeless tobacco products was low, particularly among the people with low socio-economic status. In Sri Lanka various forms of smokeless tobacco products, some of them imported, are used. At the national level, 15.8% used smokeless tobacco products and its use is three-fold higher among men compared to women. Betel quid is by far the traditional form in which tobacco is a general component. Other manufactured tobacco products include pan parag/pan masala, Mawa, Red tooth powder, Khaini, tobacco powder, and Zarda. Some 8.6% of the youth are current users of smokeless tobacco. There are studies demonstrating the harmful effects of smokeless tobacco use, especially on the oral mucosa, however, the level of awareness of this aspect is low. The highest mean expenditure on betel quid alone in rural areas for those earning Rs. 5,000/month was Rs. 952. The core issue is the easy availability of these products. To combat the smokeless tobacco problem, public health programs need to be intensified and targeted to vulnerable younger age groups. Another vital approach should be to levy higher taxation.
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India is the second largest producer and third largest consumer of tobacco. According to GATS India Report (2009-10), the users of only smokeless tobacco (SLT) are more than double than that of smokers. SLT use is an imminent public health problem, which is contributing to high disease burden in India. ⋯ It has been studied to be a gateway product and facilitates initiation. Currently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have prohibited the use of tobacco and nicotine in any food products; yet, the implementation of a permanent ban on SLT across India is still pending. This paper examines how multiple legislations have failed to effectively control or regulate SLT in India and regionally; thus, there is need to strengthen SLT control efforts as "no ordinary product."