The hands that heal are the ones that feel... 

Tobacco kills over 150 Indians every hour, over 3500 every day and more than 13 lakh every year.

Tobacco use is a major cause for many chronic diseases, including cancer, lung disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke. India is the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco. Nearly 27 crore people (15 years and above) in India use tobacco, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey India, 2016-17. Also, 6,25,000 children (10-14 years old) use tobacco daily. The annual economic costs attributed to tobacco use from all diseases in India (for persons aged 35 years and above) in India was estimated at Rs.177341 crore in 2017-18, that is 1.04% of India’s GDP. Direct health expenditures on treating tobacco-related diseases in India alone amounts to Rs 37344 crore. 

Antardhwani https://antardhwani-theinnervoice.org/index.php, a Bengaluru-based independent think tank of HCG Cancer Care Centres https://www.hcgoncology.com, calls for complete eradication of tobacco in India. It is helping Karnataka's tobacco farmers shift to safer, economically viable and more remunerative alternative crops. Learn more: https://antardhwani-theinnervoice.org/healthcare.php  

Antardhwani strongly feels that complete tobacco eradication in India can be achieved only if all the country's doctors become one voice against tobacco. It is the doctors who closely experience the pain of these patients affected by tobacco use, and the plight of their families. Antardhwani calls all the doctors across the country to come together as the inner voice of these millions affected by tobacco and express the imminent need for eradication of tobacco in India through a strong National Tobacco Eradication Policy. 

The one voice of millions of India's doctors will undoubtedly prove to be a beacon and guide for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate immediate necessary steps to make India tobacco free and save our future generations.

Antardhwani urges all the doctors of India to endorse and help spread word about this petition.  

Each one of you and your support will be invaluable in making India healthy and disease free. 

Thank You.

Rahul Nandan & Seethalakshmi S 
Antardhwani - An Independent Think Tank of HCG
https://antardhwani-theinnervoice.org/index.php

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Antardhwani calls for following measures for complete eradication of tobacco from in India by 2050: 

• Reintroduce Barn Buyout Scheme for permanent rehabilitation of tobacco growers, ensuring that they do good farming and at the same time their right of a decent livelihood and good health is protected. Farmers feed people and safeguarding their best interests is always top priority.             
• Significantly increasing excise tax & price of tobacco products as the most effective tool for reducing tobacco use.
• Spend a major portion of revenue from tobacco taxes on bringing down India’s tobacco-related health burden
• Raise the legal smoking age periodically, on the lines of New Zealand, to prevent future generations from tobacco use. 
• All public places including restaurants, pubs & bars and all indoor public places must be completely smoke-free
• National alternative farming programme for tobacco growers. Alternative jobs for bidi workers
• Mandatory tobacco vendor licensing across India
• Ban on all forms of direct and indirect advertising related to tobacco brands/products
• Launch massive campaigns against tobacco use across all media platforms 
• Educating the youth about the devastating impact of tobacco use will change the next generations
• Cost covered tobacco cessation services across India
• Plain, standardized packaging with large warnings for all tobacco products  

Antardhwani - The Inner Voice

Economic Costs of Diseases and Deaths Attributable to Tobacco Use in India, 2017–2018

India loses 1% of its GDP to diseases and early deaths from tobacco use, finds WHO study

India - Risk of Premature Death due to NCDS