The social cost of tobacco-related diseases is estimated to be around Rs 27,700 crore.

This expert committee has been constituted by the union ministry of health and family welfare. But the ministry is helpless in initiating any stern action for banning tobacco consumption.

The health ministry is already under pressure not only from the tobacco barons, but also from trade unions and related ministries and departments of the union government and from state governments to go slow in imposing a ban on consumption of tobacco products.

Though the ministry has sought consent from all thestate governments and Union territory administrations, only four states like Goa, Punjab, UP and West Bengal have given their consent to the proposed draft comprehensive bill for banning the consumption of tobacco products.

The ministry is, therefore, left with very little option to discourage consumption of tobacco. It has suggested to the finance ministry to withdraw the provision of zero duty for imports of cigarettes.

It has called for a multi-sectoral effort linking health, agriculture, finance, commerce, industry, labour, education, law, environment and mass media.

As a result of such interaction, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has decided to intensify its efforts to identify and encourage alternative crops and discontinue forthwith any assistance to tobacco farming.

Incidentally the Law Commission is considering this tobacco issue seriously and examining the possibilities of giving a legal shape for tackling the situation.

India, on the other hand has called for consortedefforts by the developing countries especially countries in Southeast Asia region to tackle the growing threat of tobacco consumption.

The Delhi Declaration of WHO International Conference on Global Tobacco Control Law stated to implement the WHO Framework Convention by the year 2003. India has also urged WHO to frame a common global law on restricting tobacco consumption and to advise WTO to restrict trade in tobacco.

The trends of tobacco use in developed countries are different from those in developing countries, developed nations are witnessing a steady decline in tobacco consumption.

Consequently, their production surplus has been aggressively seeking external markets in the era of globalisation and liberalisation of international trade. Developing countries, on the other hand, are experiencing rising tobacco consumption and shrinking export markets.According to a study by the World Bank, the consumption of cigarettes per person in four Asian countries that opened their markets in response to UStrade pressure during 1980s was almost 10 per cent higher in 1991 than it would have been if these markets had remained closed.

Tobacco consumption is a cause for more than 25 diseases, including cancer, heart attack, lungs diseases, still births and impotence.