Tobacco is perhaps the most common addiction all over the world, and a leading carcinogen producer.

Alarmed by the devastating impact of tobacco in its various forms on human health, the World Health Organization is calling for stringent regulations on smoking.

Tobacco generates about Rs.7,964 crore annually but spends for treatment of tobacco related diseases is about Rs.27,661 crore, according to WHO estimates.

The results of a recent survey are really alarming. The total losses in high-income countries are $451 billion whereas in low-income countries it is $13 billion.

It uses up more minerals and nutrients from soil hence other crops don't grow around and the wood used for curing tobacco causes deforestation.

Effects on the health:

Cancer is the commonest cause of tobacco related deaths after IHD and CVA. The smoke contains all forms of chemical carcinogens of all stages.

Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, which includes at least 60 different carcinogenic substances. They in turn cause a variety of chronic pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases besides damage of the central nervous system leading to Alzheimer's disease and the like.

Diseases due to Tobacco in India, 1996

Disease Entity	Total Number in India	Cases due to tobacco use
Tobacco related cancers	209,810	154,320
Coronary artery disease(Prevalent cases)	15,700,000	4,200,000
Chronic obstructive lung diseases (Prevalent cases)	14,000,000	3,700,000

Ecological Observation of Smoking Prevalence and various cancers showed a definite strength of association as represented by an increase in relative risk ranged from 3.8 to 14.2, specificity as represented by demonstration of chemical carcinogens off all stages (initiation progression till loss of apoptosis) and coherence as demonstrated in many of the epidemiological studies.

1. The Consistency of the Association: In 1984 surgeon general's report, 29 retrospective and 7 prospective studies have all demonstrated an association between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. Similar findings had thus reported from a large number of studies by different investigators, using different methodological approaches, and in different populations and different diseases.
2. The Strength of the Association: In men, the relative risk ranged from 3.8 to 14.2. In women, the relative risk ranged from 2 to 5 for CVA and IHD. Men and women who smoked one of more packs per day experienced a 25 to 30-fold increased risk of dying from various cancers when compared with non-smokers.
3. Dose-Response Relationship: The existence of a dose-response relationship between smoking and various diseases constitutes further evidence of a causal relationship. Many studies have demonstrated a dose-response relationship between cigarette smoked per day, years of smoking and pack-years of smoking with all tobacco related disorders.