Poor more susceptible to smoking in India

The poor in India are more susceptible to smoking, as a recent study reveals. Called ‘Socioeconomic Inequality in Smoking in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries: Results from the World Health Survey’, the study was conducted to assess the socio-economic inequality in smoking in low and middle income countries.

The study based on data from the World Health Survey (WHS) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) found that 46.7 per cent of the poorest men smoke in India as against 21.8 per cent of the richest men.

Though the findings are in line with common knowledge regarding smoking prevalence, what is distressing that well over a quarter of India’s population are under the addictive spell of tobacco. According to figures of the Planning Commission, GoI, there are as many as 3546.8 lakhs people below the poverty line in India, which is nearly 29 per cent of the total population.

A total of 213,807 men and women of 48 low and middle income countries were covered in this study that was initiated in the context of the fact that the risk of dying from smoking is significantly higher in the lowest socio-economic groups as compared to higher socio-economic groups. 

Commenting on the study, Dr R Jayakrishnan, Assistant Professor, Community Oncology Division, Regional Cancer Centre said, “The findings reinforce the trend seen during clinical practice. Majority of tobacco-induced cancer patients who visit the Centre are from the lower income strata of the society. The need of the hour is to develop prevention strategies that specifically focus on the more vulnerable sections.”

Outlining some possible prevention strategies, Dr M A Oommen, renowned economist said, “While linking high incidence of smoking with poverty is a simplistic correlation, the issue has to be tackled in a multi-pronged manner such as incentivising the poor to get out of the habit, moral suasion, higher incidence of excise duty on tobacco products, expanding capability building of the poor and structural reforms through better employment opportunities.”

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