World No Tobacco Day 2017: Reversing the epidemic through tobacco control

The World No Tobacco Day 2017 brings into focus the theme “Tobacco a threat to development”. By doing so the WHO is highlighting the damage tobacco industry and the use of tobacco product can cause to harm not just the health but also economic well being of all people. The growing peril of tobacco epidemic resulted in WHO adopting the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2003 which made it mandatory on the signatories of this convention to take the prescribed steps towards achieving tobacco control. The 6 point MPOWER policy package was thus launched to guide the member states towards achieving the objectives of FCTC. Parliament of India enacted the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) in 2003 to bring in a comprehensive and stringent law to achieve tobacco control, thus protecting the health of citizens. The National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) was launched in 2005 so as to implement the provisions of COTPA across the country at central, state and district levels. Newer initiative started by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India such as mCessation programme using mobile phones and modern messaging technology to motivate and help people to quit has received enormous support from Tobacco users and people at large.