According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, an estimated six million adolescents used tobacco in the Western Pacific Region. This highlights the urgent need to protect young people from harmful tobacco products and deceptive industry tactics. Despite the alarming figures, only six countries globally have comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, indicating a major gap in preventive efforts to curb youth tobacco initiation.
1 Tobacco, in both smoked and smokeless forms, is widely consumed, with India being the second-largest producer and consumer globally after China. Many people in India are significantly affected by tobacco use, which remains one of the most pressing public health issues in the country. Smokeless tobacco products such as khaini, gutkha, and zarda are more commonly used in India, although cigarettes, bidis, and hookahs are…
