Tobacco.org

Focus on other tobacco products, not just cigarettes: Survey 

5.7 percent of India’s tobacco consumption is because of cigarettes, but chewing tobacco and bidis account for a huge 35 per cent, calling for government attention for safeguarding the health of millions of people.

This is evident from the latest statistics collected under the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) initiated by the Ministry of Health .

The pattern of tobacco consumption in India is unique and unlike elsewhere in the world, where on an average 90 percent of tobacco is consumed in the form of cigarettes, says the Tobacco Institute of India (TII). The differential consumption rate has been attributed mainly to the skewed taxation policy, as per the institute, as both types of tobacco -- smoking or chewing -- are equally injurious to health. According to TII, cigarettes account for 5.7 per cent of adult tobacco consumption, but contribute over 70 percent to total taxes collected from the tobacco sector. . . .

TII is a representative body of tobacco farmers, tobacco exporters, manufacturers, trade and ancillary industries associated with the cigarette industry in India.

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