Real lives... Beyond damning statistics!

• Among daily tobacco users, 60.2% consume tobacco within half an hour of waking up
• The average age of starting to use tobacco is 17 years, with 26% of females starting tobacco use before the age of 15 years. Avoiding tobacco adds 20 years to the life of a teenager.
• Half of all current smokers and users of smokeless tobacco planned to quit or at lease thought of quitting
• Among tobacco users who visited a doctor, nearly half were advised to quit
• Half of all adults are exposed to second-hand smoke at home and 30% at public places(mainly in public transport and restaurants)

Clear and present danger: When the warning is everywhere

• Two in three adults have noticed advertisement or promotion of tobacco products
• Three in five current tobacco users have noticed health warnings on tobacco packages
• One in three current tobacco users have thought of quitting tobacco because of the warning label

Knowledge of the risks from tobacco use are well-known. Acting on these is the biggest challenge!

(Source: Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) - India, 2010)