Tobacco Use

​

• There are almost 267 million tobacco users in India.1

• Among adults (age 15+), 28.6% of the population currently uses tobacco products (men 42.4%; women 14.2%).1

  • 21.4% of adults use smokeless tobacco (men 29.6%; women 12.8%)

  • 10.7% of adults smoke (men 19.0%; women 2.0%)

  • The majority of adult smokers smoke bidis (7.7% of adults overall)

• Among youth (ages 13–15):

  • 8.5% currently use some form of tobacco (boys 9.6%; girls 7.4%); and

  • 4.1% smoke tobacco and 4.1% use smokeless tobacco.2

  • ​

​

Secondhand Smoke Exposure

​

• 30.2% of adults are exposed to secondhand smoke in indoor workplaces, 7.4% are exposed in restaurants, and 13.3% are exposed in public transportation.1

• 21% of youth (ages 13–15) are exposed to secondhand smoke in enclosed public places, and 11% are exposed at home.

​

​

Health Consequences

​

• Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke kill about 1.2 million Indians each year.3

• India accounts for 70% of the global burden of smokeless tobacco.4

  • Smokeless tobacco use kills over 230,000 Indians each year.4

  • Nearly 90% of oral cancers in India are attributable to smokeless tobacco use.5

• Bidi and cigarette smokers die 6 to 10 years earlier than their non-smoking counterparts.6

• 27% of all cancers in India are attributable to tobacco use.7

​

​

Costs to Society

​

Tobacco exacts a high cost on society.

• From 2017–2018, economic cost of tobacco-attributable disease and death in India INR 1773.4 billion (USD$ 27.5 billion).8

  • Direct health care costs were 22% of the total cost (INR 387.1 billion or US$6 billion) and indirect costs (from lost productivity due to illness and death) were 78% (INR 1386.3 billion or US$21.5 billion).

  • The costs of premature death alone were 75% of the total economic costs (INR 132.4 billion or US$20.5 billion).

• The total costs of tobacco equate to 1.04% of India's GDP, and direct medical costs equate to 5.3% of total health expenditure.8