CAN MHEALTH AND AI AMP UP TOBACCO CESSATION EFFORTS?

28.6% of the people aged 15 and above use tobacco in India, the use of smokeless forms being double that of smoked forms If we compare the GATS 1 (Global Adult Tobacco Survey) with the GATS 2, all parameters related to tobacco cessation show a downward trend.

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While the sustained efforts by the government through implementation of national programs such as NTCP, COTPA, and NOHP; ratification of strategic frameworks such as WHO's MPOWER or FCTC; or multilateral collaboration with global health organisations, NGOs, and other stakeholders, the efforts fall short in responding to the tobacco scourge prevalent in the country.

28.6% of the people aged 15 and above use tobacco in India, the use of smokeless forms being double that of smoked forms. This can be attributed to the social acceptability of smokeless tobacco (SLT), especially among women in old times. Tobacco continues to hold cultural value in local traditions, where it is offered to guests and gods with equal reverence.

The second largest consumer and third largest producer of tobacco, India is home to 72.7 million smokers. It is responsible for 13.5 lakh deaths, 1.5 lakh cancers, 4.2 million heart diseases, and 3.7 million lung diseases every year. With a 20 % share of the global burden load, India is touted as the oral cancer capital of the world.

Secondhand smoking (SHS), caused by the inhalation of toxic fumes when somebody is smoking in the vicinity, compounds the problem further. It contributes to 14% of total tobacco deaths, with the brunt falling squarely on the most vulnerable-women, children, and older people. Almost half of the non-smoking women and over one-third of pregnant women are exposed to tobacco smoke in India and Bangladesh.

According to GATS 2, despite 85.6% of people being aware of the detrimental effects of SHS, 38.7% of people working at home and 30.2% working indoors were exposed to smoking. A 2023 report by WHO on global tobacco epidemic believes that physical distancing-whether it be designated smoke rooms (DSRs) or ventilation-fails to protect from the exposure of SHS.