Rocket Chandra Brahma1, Deka Swapna Manindranath2
ABSTRACT: Tobacco epidemics have become a matter of serious health hazard all over the world. Smoking tobacco considered as a means for relaxation and recreation is now indicated as a menacing health hazard. Tobacco in all forms are consumed worldwide with cigarette smoking being the highest at 32%, gutka (30%), bidi (10%) and other forms (19%). Tobacco consumption in all forms is responsible for serious health hazards. Tobacco is a risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of death in the world like Ischemic heart disease, Cerebra-vascular disease, lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis and trachea, bronchus, lung cancers. The percentage of health hazards due to tobacco consumption are lung cancers (31%), heart diseases (30%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (22%) and other diseases (17 %). Tobacco inflicts huge damage on the health of India's people and could be clocking up a death toll of 1.5 million a year by 2020 if more users are not persuaded to kick the habit, according to the report by the International Tobacco Control Project (ITCP). The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of World Health Organization. The Preamble of the WHO Convention Framework on Tobacco Control recognizes the contribution of the health care professionals in its efforts in tobacco control. India is committed to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control since it has signed the WHO FCTC on 10 September, 2003, ratified it on 5 February, 2004 which came into force on 27 February, 2005.
