🚭 Burning Profits, Breathing Death-WHO’s 10th Report on Tobacco

NATIONAL HERO — PETAL 003
🗓️ Post Date: June 25, 2025
Thematic Focus: GS2 – Health, Government Interventions, Global Reports

🌬️ Opening Whisper

One puff profits the seller, but scorches a thousand silent lungs. Nations awaken slowly, but death never sleeps.

🔹 Key Highlights

• WHO’s 10th Global Tobacco Epidemic Report (2025) shows 6.1 billion people are now protected by at least one MPOWER measure.
• Since 2007, 155 countries have adopted at least one strategy.
• India emerges as a global leader in regulating digital streaming content for tobacco control—the first in the world to do so.
• India has also enforced bans on all forms of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion & Sponsorship (TAPS) across media.
• Tobacco tax remains the least adopted MPOWER measure globally.
• Tobacco is responsible for over 7 million deaths/year globally; in India, it accounts for 1.35 million deaths annually.
• India is the second-largest producer of tobacco and ranks 4th globally in Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) production.

🧠 Concept Explainer: What is MPOWER?

The WHO’s MPOWER strategy is a set of six evidence-based tobacco control measures introduced in 2008 under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC):

1. Monitor tobacco use and policies.
2. Protect people from tobacco smoke.
3. Offer help to quit tobacco.
4. Warn about dangers (labels, ads).
5. Enforce bans on advertising, promotion & sponsorship (TAPS).
6. Raise taxes.

Despite strong evidence supporting tax as the most effective tool, it remains underutilized worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income nations.

🧭 GS Paper Mapping

• GS Paper 2 – Health & Governance
  • International Health Reports
  • Tobacco Control Policies in India
  • Regulation of Digital Media & Public Health
• GS Paper 3 – Non-Communicable Diseases
  • Preventive Health
  • Economic & Social Impact of Tobacco Use

🔥 A Thought Spark — by IAS Monk

When a society needs courage to ban poison and chooses hesitation instead, it proves not its freedom—but its slavery to commerce.

High Quality Mains Essay For Practice :

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Smoke Signals: WHO’s Global Tobacco Report and India’s Fight for a Healthier Tomorrow

In July 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the tenth edition of its Global Tobacco Epidemic Report, an authoritative document that tracks progress made across countries since the launch of the MPOWER strategy in 2008. The report captures not only the evolution of tobacco control policies but also the stubborn persistence of tobacco as a leading preventable cause of death worldwide. With more than 6.1 billion people now protected by at least one MPOWER measure, the report offers a blend of optimism and caution. In this context, India’s unique dual identity—as both a leader in tobacco control and a significant producer and consumer of tobacco—places it in a critical global position.

The Global Epidemic That Smolders On

Tobacco remains a silent killer, claiming more than 8 million lives annually, with over 7 million of these deaths occurring due to direct tobacco use and around 1.3 million from exposure to second-hand smoke. The burden is particularly heavy in low- and middle-income countries, which account for over 80% of the world’s smokers. The WHO report stresses that despite substantial policy gains, the global tobacco industry has adapted, diversified its product base, and targeted younger populations through digital media and flavored nicotine products.

The MPOWER framework—Monitoring use, Protecting people, Offering help, Warning about dangers, Enforcing bans, and Raising taxes—has proven effective when implemented consistently. The WHO emphasizes that large graphic health warnings on tobacco packs have seen the widest success. Yet, the measure found to be the most underutilized—raising tobacco taxes—remains a glaring policy gap in several countries, including India.

India’s Dual Reality: Progress and Paradox

India stands as both a battlefield and a beacon in the global tobacco war. As the second-largest tobacco consumer and producer after China, India faces unique challenges. With an estimated 267 million tobacco users and over 1.35 million tobacco-related deaths each year, the human and economic toll is staggering. Tobacco-related illnesses account for nearly 30% of all cancers in India, and nearly 35% of adults still consume tobacco in some form, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS).

Yet, India has also shown exemplary policy leadership. The 2025 WHO report praises India for becoming the first country to regulate tobacco depiction in digital streaming content, expanding the traditional concept of anti-tobacco legislation into the digital entertainment space. Furthermore, India has aggressively enforced bans on Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS), extending restrictions across radio, television, films, print media, and now, streaming platforms.

India’s Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, has been progressively expanded to align with WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). However, critics argue that while policy intent is strong, enforcement remains uneven—especially in rural and semi-urban regions where smokeless tobacco usage remains alarmingly high.

The MPOWER Scorecard: India’s Performance

1. Monitoring: India has consistently collected data through GATS and NFHS (National Family Health Survey). Surveillance is robust, but lacks local granularity in some regions.
2. Protecting People from Smoke: The implementation of smoke-free zones has worked better in urban public spaces but enforcement in private workplaces, rural towns, and homes is inconsistent.
3. Offering Help to Quit: India provides toll-free quitlines and has initiated de-addiction centers, but there remains a vast unmet need for behavioral and pharmacological interventions.
4. Warning About Dangers: India’s pictorial warnings on tobacco packets are among the largest and most graphic in the world, covering 85% of packaging space.
5. Enforcing Bans on Advertising: This remains one of India’s strongest pillars, including the 2023 OTT content amendment.
6. Raising Taxes: This is where India continues to underperform. Tobacco taxation is fragmented due to variations between different products—beedis, cigarettes, khaini, gutkha—with beedis taxed far lower despite their popularity among low-income users.

Digital India and the New Face of Tobacco Wars

The WHO report acknowledges a changing media landscape, where youth are increasingly targeted through digital platforms, influencer marketing, and algorithmic nudges. India’s proactive move to mandate disclaimers and anti-tobacco messaging on OTT content like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube reflects a deeper understanding of how culture and consumer habits are now shaped. This regulation, although pioneering, faces pushback from entertainment lobbies and demands from the industry for exemptions under creative freedom. But the government’s stand reflects a health-first approach.

At the same time, however, the tobacco industry in India—valued at over ₹40,000 crores—exerts considerable economic and political influence. From lobbying against tax hikes to promoting tobacco as a traditional crop that supports rural livelihoods, the industry cleverly navigates the regulatory ecosystem. This makes strong political will essential to prevent rollback or dilution of existing laws.

Socio-Economic Consequences and Vulnerable Populations

Tobacco usage in India is deeply entangled with poverty and education levels. More than 50% of tobacco users belong to the lowest income quintile. Smokeless tobacco products—like khaini, gutkha, and paan masala—are more commonly consumed among rural, less-educated populations. Women and adolescents are often covert users, complicating detection and treatment. The economic cost of tobacco-related diseases in India is estimated at ₹1.04 lakh crores annually (roughly 1.16% of GDP), dwarfing the revenue generated through tobacco taxation.

Moreover, tobacco farming, particularly in states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat, exposes farmers to pesticides and has long-term health and environmental costs. Any national tobacco control policy must also consider alternative livelihoods for these communities.

Way Forward: Reform Beyond Regulation

India’s future success in tobacco control hinges not just on regulation, but reform. The WHO’s tenth report is not just a performance appraisal—it is a call to act with deeper intent and greater innovation.

1. Uniform High Taxation: India must rationalize tobacco taxation across all product categories. Differential tax rates encourage shifts between products rather than cessation. A sin tax model, tied to inflation and public health targets, can be a potential policy innovation.
2. Integrated Cessation Services: De-addiction must move beyond helplines to become integrated into primary healthcare. Local health workers (ASHA, ANMs) should be trained to offer counseling and follow-ups.
3. Community Engagement: Social change campaigns must go beyond fear-mongering. Positive storytelling, use of local influencers, and grassroots messaging can reduce stigma and encourage quitting.
4. Research and Monitoring: India must invest in disaggregated, real-time tobacco use data at state and district levels to create region-specific interventions.
5. Farmers and Alternatives: A national mission for transitioning tobacco farmers toward sustainable crops must be part of the tobacco control framework.

Conclusion

Tobacco control is not merely a public health policy; it is a civilizational imperative. The WHO’s tenth report reveals both how far we’ve come and how much further we must go. India’s leadership—especially in regulating digital tobacco content—can be a model for other nations. But progress cannot be sporadic or symbolic. If we are to truly extinguish the tobacco epidemic, the next decade must belong to grassroots reforms, fiscal courage, and uncompromising enforcement.

As the world confronts newer health challenges—from pandemics to pollution—the war against tobacco must not lose steam. For in every puff lies not just smoke, but the silent erosion of potential, productivity, and human dignity.

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Topic: WHO’s 10th Report on Tobacco