Cigarettes, bidis, chewable tobacco continue to silently raise cancer risks in youth: Experts
According to the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 8.5 per cent of students aged 13-15 use tobacco, contributing to 1.3 million deaths annually.
With tobacco linked to 90 per cent of lung cancer cases, the experts warned that this overlooked epidemic demands immediate action beyond the vaping debate.
'Over 90 per cent of lung cancer cases in India are linked to combustible tobacco. In my clinical experience, I regularly treat patients as young as 17 for tobacco-induced complications. What we need is a calibrated approach that combines prevention, regulation, and public awareness -- not selective panic,' Dr. Narender Saini, Chairman, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Standing Committee, at Indian Medical Association (IMA), told IANS.
There is growing concern in the medical community that public discourse on youth addiction is missing the mark.
While focus has been on new trends, the experts warned that the silent epidemic of oral and throat cancer among under-25s, linked to traditional tobacco products like gutkha and khaini, is a more urgent and dangerously overlooked crisis.
'The data points to a stark reality -- traditional tobacco's grip on our youth far outweighs other concerns, urging us to rethink our priorities. Our focus must expand from trendy alternatives to the proven killers: cigarettes, bidis, and chewable tobacco,' Dr Chandrakant S Pandav, Padma Shri Awardee, and former Prof and HoD, Community Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, told IANS.
The global health expert noted that the traditional tobacco landscape remains largely unchallenged in schools and villages. Despite soaring concerns over vaping, combustible and smokeless tobacco products continue to thrive, fuelled by cultural acceptance and unchecked distribution.
'Tobacco use poses immediate and long-term risks to infection control. My clinical experience reveals a stark contrast: tobacco-related illnesses are rampant, while vaping-related lung issues are remarkably rare,' Saini said.
The experts called for strengthening school-based interventions, community awareness campaigns, and stricter enforcement of existing laws.
'Bridging the gap between data and policy, stakeholders must now craft a unified strategy that tackles both supply and demand, ensuring young Indians are shielded from every form of tobacco harm,' Pandav added.
Dr. Pawan Gupta, Senior Consultant, Pulmonary Medicine at a leading city-based hospital, told IANS that 'the damage inflicted by traditional tobacco begins early and lasts a lifetime".
'We witness its devastating consequences daily -- oral cancers, lung diseases, and heart conditions -- often in individuals who started using these products in their teenage years. With 1.35 million deaths annually, the science is clear: traditional tobacco is a proven killer, and our youth are its most vulnerable targets,' Gupta said.
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Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Indian Express
Why, to tackle the stray dog problem, it is important to make pet owners accountable, too
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This works out to more than 3 million bites a year, of which around 5,000 turn out to be fatal. Dogs spread more than 60 diseases to people. Rabies alone claims at least two human lives every three hours. More than 15,000 tonnes of dog poop and 8 million gallons of dog pee – a major health and environmental hazard – is discharged on Indian roads and fields daily. India's pet dog population was estimated at 30 million in 2024. The population of pet dogs, along with India's dog food market, has grown at 10-15% per year over the last five years. The size of the Indian pet dog industry, currently worth Rs 300 crore, is projected to double by 2030. There are upscale dog hotels such as Critterati in Gurgaon, and dog grooming parlours such as Scoopy Scrub in Delhi, Fuzzy Wuzzy in Bengaluru, and Tailwaggers in Mumbai. Companies such as Bajaj Allianz and Future Generali offer dog health insurance. While cherishing their 'best friends' at home, Indians have been far less kind to them on the street. Historically, there have been efforts to eliminate the stray dog problem by means including electrocution, poisoning, shooting, or just clubbing them to death. But long before the killing of dogs became an animal rights issue, it had become evident that short of elimination en masse, this would not have a lasting effect on the population of strays. As food becomes increasingly abundant (garbage dumps, and individual and organised feeders), the partial elimination of the stray population reduces the competition for resources and boosts breeding. Thus came the idea of sterilisation. Since 1992, NGOs such as Chennai-based Blue Cross of India, and various governments have carried out Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes in several cities. In 2001, the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules were notified under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. However, unless at least two-thirds of a canine population is sterilised within a small (typically 6-12 months) window, ABC drives fail to have any stabilising effect. With the job left to a few NGOs, every Indian city has struggled to achieve the target that requires neutering hundreds of stray dogs every day for months. But even if that mark is hit, stray dog populations may still continue to increase. There is no national law in India that requires dog owners to register their pets. A few cities have such rules, but enforcement remains shoddy. It is not mandatory to get pets sterilised or vaccinated either. Since owners are not accountable for their dogs or their dogs' pups, hundreds of unwanted pet dogs and pups are abandoned on the street daily. Also, thousands of pet dogs are allowed to roam or break free and breed with street strays. In consequence, even as governments and NGOs continue to neuter a few dogs on the street, pet dogs, thanks to callous owners, add to the stray population. This is also why the so-called 'Indian street dog' is mostly mongrels of various crossbreeds. The solution, experts say, is to have ABC drives target pedigreed pets with high breeding frequency. The government could offer incentives to owners to get their pets registered and sterilised. A steep tax may be levied on breeding pets. The problem with petting without owning Equally irresponsible is the trend of petting dogs outside the home. In all cities, neighbourhood good samaritans feed stray dogs on the streets outside their homes or workplaces. This has the same effect as petting, and turns stray dogs territorial and aggressive. Such feeding has also created monsters of monkeys in many parts of India. Over the decades, governments cutting across party lines have sponsored the feeding of stray dogs by various organisations. 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News18
15 hours ago
- News18
Simple Way to Calculate Your BMI at Home Using Just Height and Weight
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In India, awareness about these calculators is growing, especially among those keen to manage their lifestyle, balance work, and health, or plan long-term financial goals like health insurance. These digital aids fit seamlessly into modern wellness is Body Mass Index (BMI)Body Mass Index or BMI is a simple calculation that uses your height and weight to categorise your body weight. It is a universally accepted health parameter and helps to identify if you fall within the healthy weight is widely recommended by doctors and fitness enthusiasts because it is both easy and effective. BMI provides an indication but not a diagnosis. Further tests may be needed for those with borderline or concerning of BMI for Indian AdultsThe following BMI categories are used for adults in India:– Underweight: BMI less than 18.5 – Normal weight: BMI 18.5-22.9– Overweight: BMI 23-24.9– Obese: BMI 25 and aboveThese cut-offs are slightly different from those used internationally, reflecting higher health risks at lower BMI thresholds among calculating your BMI at home is importantCalculating your BMI at home is the first step towards proactive health management. Many lifestyle ailments like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are linked to unhealthy body weight. Using a BMI calculator allows early detection so that you can take preventive those with busy schedules, self-monitoring using free online tools like a BMI calculator is convenient. You can check your progress regularly and share results with your healthcare provider to calculate your BMI at homeCalculating BMI at home does not require specialist tools. Follow these steps:Step 1: Measure your weightUse a weighing scale to check your weight in kilograms (kg). Ensure the scale is calibrated and placed on a flat surface for accuracy. Weigh yourself in light clothing for best 2: Measure your heightStand straight against a wall without shoes and measure your height in metres (m). Keep your head level and heels together for the most accurate 3: Apply the BMI formulaThe formula for BMI is:BMI = Weight (kg) / [Height (m)]²For example, if your weight is 70 kg and your height is 1.7 m:BMI = 70 / (1.7 x 1.7) = 70 / 2.89 [?] 24.2Step 4: Interpret the resultsCompare your calculated BMI with the Indian BMI scale above. This helps you understand if you need to lose, gain, or maintain is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is another essential health metric. It measures how many calories your body needs at rest to maintain basic functions like breathing, circulation, and cell varies for each person depending on age, gender, genetics, and lifestyle. For those planning a weight loss or muscle gain programme, knowing your BMR helps structure your diet more to use a BMR calculatorA BMR calculator estimates your daily calorie requirement based on height, weight, age, and gender. This information assists you in planning how many calories you need to eat or burn daily to reach your accurate tracking, use a BMR calculator at the same time of day, under similar conditions, to offset minor variations. Consistently using both BMI and BMR calculators helps provide a comprehensive snapshot of your points to remember when using BMI calculator and BMR calculator– Accuracy depends on precise measurement of height and weight.– BMI offers a general guideline. For athletes and those with high muscle mass, BMI may not accurately reflect body fat percentage.– Both BMI calculator and BMR calculator are not substitutes for medical advice, but offer useful guidance.– Tracking BMI and BMR together helps in long-term fitness and health management.– BMI does not account for fat distribution or consider factors like age, gender, or ethnicity beyond basic thresholds, so interpret your results with for maintaining a healthy BMI and BMRMaintaining a healthy BMI and BMR supports an active lifestyle:– Eat balanced meals rich in vegetables, protein, and fibre.– Engage in regular physical activity, such as walking, yoga, or cycling.– Stay hydrated, aiming for at least 2 litres of water daily.– Consult nutritionists or fitness trainers for custom plans.– Review health insurance and wellness investments periodically to ensure adequate cover for medical your Body Mass Index and Basal Metabolic Rate is simple and necessary, especially for Indians focused on preventive health. With tools like a BMI calculator and BMR calculator, you gain fast and accurate insights at home, requiring only basic details like height and weight. This empowers you to take timely action, manage health goals, and even plan your finances confidently. Prioritising these health assessments not only supports physical well-being but also complements your overall quality of life. Start today–use a BMI calculator and BMR calculator to take charge of your health from the comfort of your home.(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) view comments First Published: August 11, 2025, 18:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
16 hours ago
- India Today
Saving the ‘Golden Hour': How STEMI ACT is helping India fight heart attack deaths
Heart attacks are killing more Indians than ever, and most don't get treatment in time. Over the past few years, news headlines and viral videos have told the same tragic story again and again: a man collapses mid-workout in a gym, a young professional faints while dancing at a wedding, an office-goer slumps at his desk — and never gets up. Across India, sudden heart attacks are claiming lives in homes, gyms, offices, and even on the cricket disease is now the number one killer in the country. The numbers are staggering: nearly three to four million people in India suffer a type of severe heart attack called ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) every year. This is a condition where a major artery in the heart is completely blocked, cutting off blood flow and threatening the survival of the heart to the Global Burden of Disease Study, cardiovascular diseases accounted for 28.1% of all deaths in India in 2016, up from 15.2% in 1990. But despite the scale of the crisis, there are simply not enough cardiologists, hospitals, or emergency systems in place to save lives, especially outside big cities in happens in a heart attack is that an artery in the heart gets blocked. A clot forms suddenly, like clotting in a wound, and stops blood flow. To save the heart muscle, we must restore blood flow immediately, either with a drug (thrombolysis) or emergency angioplasty (primary PCI).Primary PCI is the best option, but it's not available everywhere and certainly not 24/7 in India. The most effective window to save a life is known as the 'golden hour' - ideally within the first hour of in India, patients often take hours, even days, to get the right treatment.A MODEL THAT WORKS AND SAVES LIVESTo tackle this crisis, the STEMI ACT project, led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with AIIMS, is building hub-and-spoke networks in states across model is simple: train doctors and paramedics in smaller 'spoke' hospitals to quickly diagnose STEMI using ECG and give clot-busting drugs immediately, while staying in contact with cardiologists at larger 'hub' hospitals via their pilot, thrombolysis rates jumped from 30% to 75%, and drugs were given within 40 minutes of first contact in over 90% of cases — well within the golden hour.'If a pizza can be delivered in 30 minutes, we can deliver life-saving treatment in 30 minutes too,' says Dr. S Ramakrishnan, cardiologist at AIIMS Delhi and National Principal Investigator of the ICMR STEMI ACT project.'In a country like India, a pharmaco-invasive approach, thrombolysis first, followed by angioplasty, is often the best option. The critical message is that 'time is life' and 'time is muscle'. Opening the artery quickly saves more of the heart. Unfortunately, the average time patients take to reach a hospital in India is far beyond the golden hour,' he tells SYSTEM PROBLEM: IT'S NOT JUST THE PATIENTOne of the biggest reasons for delay is misdiagnosis and poor emergency response systems.'The delay is not only due to patients. People don't know it's a heart attack, they go to the same clinic for chest pain that they would for fever or a headache. These smaller hospitals are often not equipped for heart attacks,' Dr. Ramakrishnan pointed out that treating a heart attack is not just about having good doctors or cath labs: 'You need an entire chain that works: from first medical contact to treatment.' The time it takes to reach a hospital in India with respect to heart attacks. The result of these delays is deadly. 'The death rate from heart attacks is about 10%, compared to 3–3.5% in the West. Most angioplasties here happen more than 24 hours after the attack, when much of the heart muscle is already dead,' he PARAMEDICS TO BEAT THE CLOCKGlobally, paramedics are often trained to diagnose and start treatment for heart attacks in ambulances. In India, this wasn't allowed until recently due to rules that prevented nurses and paramedics from giving medicines without a doctor's Ramakrishnan's team found a workaround: 'We made the ambulance an extension of AIIMS — so when I, as a doctor, give the order remotely, it's as if it is happening in AIIMS itself. If anything goes wrong, I take responsibility.'This allowed paramedics to give life-saving thrombolysis on the spot, cutting through traffic delays and hospital SUCCESS STORIESSome states have already adopted this model with remarkable success. Tamil Nadu offers free primary PCI 24/7 for eligible patients, Kerala has highly efficient district-level systems, and Goa runs a strong STEMI STEMI ACT, Andhra Pradesh treated 4,500 patients in a year, Punjab is set to thrombolyse STEMI patients at primary health centres, and states like Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh are expanding the of May 2025, nearly 6,000 STEMI patients had been registered under the PUBLIC HEALTH VISION'STEMI ACT aligns with India's broader cardiovascular disease management goals and ICMR's public health strategy by focusing on timely and effective treatment of a critical form of heart attack, STEMI,' says Meenakshi Sharma, Program Officer (Cardiovascular Diseases and Neurology) at the project highlights reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases like CVD through evidence-based interventions and timely action."Specifically, STEMI ACT addresses the critical 'golden hour' for treatment, reducing mortality and long-term morbidity associated with heart attacks, thereby contributing to the national effort to lower CVD-related deaths,' she improving care pathways, the project also strengthens the overall healthcare system's ability to handle cardiovascular disease — a key part of ICMR's national INDIANS ARE AT HIGHER RISK, AND YOUNGERSouth Asians, including Indians, suffer heart attacks 5–10 years earlier than Western populations. The reasons are a deadly mix of high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, abdominal obesity, smoking, stress, poor diet, and a lack of exercise.A 2018 Lancet Global Health study found that cardiovascular disease caused over 2.1 million deaths in India in 2015, including 1.3 million deaths between ages 30–69. Alarmingly, heart disease mortality rates in rural India have now surpassed those in even with systems in place, one major challenge remains, getting frontline doctors in rural and semi-urban areas to confidently administer thrombolytic drugs free of cost. Time is life when it comes to getting heart attack treatment. 'Administering thrombolysis for STEMI within the recommended window, ideally within 30 minutes of first medical contact, is particularly challenging in rural and semi-urban settings,' Meenakshi Sharma there are several hurdles:Many MBBS doctors fear complications like bleeding or believe thrombolysis should only be done in higher workers worry about legal liability or backlash from the community if something goes this fear will be crucial to saving more MINUTE COUNTSIndia's heart attack crisis is not unsolvable, but it demands urgency, awareness, and STEMI ACT project shows that with training, technology, and teamwork, life-saving treatment can be delivered within 30 minutes, even in remote for that to happen everywhere, experts say states must ensure uninterrupted supply of clot-busting drugs, equip ambulances and hospitals with ECG machines and defibrillators, train paramedics and medical officers in rapid diagnosis and treatment and run public awareness campaigns so people recognise heart attack symptoms and seek help in a heart attack, time is not just money — time is life.- EndsMust Watch
