Q. What is the connection between tobacco use and poverty?
A. The net economic effect of tobacco is to decrease an economy's productive capacity through death, increased poverty and higher health care costs. The tobacco epidemic makes global health inequalities worse. In most countries, tobacco use is higher among the poor than the rich and the poor suffer more from the consequences of tobacco-related diseases, creating economic hardship and perpetuating the cycle of poverty and illness. The early death of the primary wage earner is especially catastrophic for poor families and communities. In addition, money spent on tobacco means money not spent on basic necessities such as food, shelter, education and health care. In some developing countries, the lowest income group spend more than 10% of their household income on tobacco. |
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News From India
PATNA: JANUARY 03, 2012:- 2011 was a year of progressive developments in tobacco control in Bihar with several initiatives being taken to check the rising tobacco consuming populace of the state.
MUMBAI: DECEMBER 31, 2011:- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has imposed a Rs 250-crore tax on India, for non-compliance of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) by the WHO.
PATNA: December 18, 2011:- Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said here on Wednesday that taxes would be hiked on tobacco products and pan masala in a bid to discourage their use as they cause cancer.
DELHI: OCTOBER 06, 2011:- Three years after implementation of the no-smoking rules that came into effect on October 2, 2008, over 42,194 people have been fined/challaned and over Rs.30 lakh has been collected by the Delhi Government from defaulters.
MIZORAM : June 30, 2011:- Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla launched yesterday, June 29th the much discussed Smoke Free Mizoram programme to make the State free from smoking and tobacco consumption. At the launch of this initiative, Lal Thanhawla stated that smoking in public places in Mizoram has already decreased to a great extent. This is due to high awareness among the Mizos about the adverse health effects of tobacco consumption and smoking.