1 In 6 Indian Families Has Members Consuming Chewable Tobacco Products: Survey

Unlike most countries, in India the population that uses smokeless tobacco (21.4 per cent of adults) exceeds the population that uses smoking tobacco products (10.7 per cent of adults).

New Delhi: All forms of smokeless tobacco, including gutkha has been banned in India since 2012. However, those companies producing gutkha have found ways to circumvent this ban by producing pan masala under the same brand name along with tobacco provided in a separate packet. While pan masala is a non-tobacco product containing areca nuts, slaked lime, catechu, and seasonings, with tobacco available in a different packet, people can prepare their own gutkha, as per The Lancet in a report titled “Unsuccessful ban on gutkha and need for tobacco control in India”. It also says that many users add extra tobacco for intense stimulation, increasing the risk of excessive nicotine consumption.

Magnitude Of The Problem

According to a population-based cancer registry in Varanasi, 55 per cent of cancers in India were related to tobacco use, which emphasises the need for tobacco control programmes. India, with a population of 140.76 crore people, is the world’s third-largest producer and exporter of tobacco products. However, as per The Lancet report, unlike most countries, in India the population that uses smokeless tobacco (21.4 per cent of adults) exceeds the population that uses smoking tobacco products (10.7 per cent of adults).

In a survey conducted by LocalCircles, two out of three citizens responded that gutkha and other chewable tobacco products are easily available everywhere in their district. While 49 per cent of the respondents said that gutkha and other chewable tobacco products are “available in almost every nook and corner”, 18 per cent of the surveyed population said it’s “available in many places”, and 9 per cent said it’s available in “just a handful of places”. Even as a good 14 per cent of respondents responded “can’t say” to the above query, 5 per cent each of the surveyed population said it’s available in some “select places” and that it’s “not available easily at all”.

The next survey question was to understand the consumption levels of Gutkha at a household or family level.  “How many members of your immediate family (including yourself) Gutkha or other chewable tobacco products?” asked LocalCircles.

While it’s indeed heartening that majority or 83 per cent of 11,349 people who answered this query stated that no one in their immediate family or they themselves consume Gutkha or other chewable tobacco products, 10 per cent however indicated that one person in the immediate family consumes it.

4 per cent of respondents to the survey said that there are 2-3 individuals in the family who consume chewable tobacco products and another 3 per cent respondents indicated that there are 4 or more individuals in the immediate family who consume these products. In all, 1 in 6 Indian families surveyed said they have one or more immediate family members who consume Gutkha or other chewable tobacco products, as per LocalCircles survey.

The final survey question was to know how many people actually want a blanket ban on the production and sale of chewable tobacco products. “Should the Government take stringent action to shut all units producing such products,” the survey team asked.

81 per cent of the respondents gave a positive response saying that “Yes, this is a must”, and 19 per cent objected to the blanket ban saying “No, this shouldn’t be done”. It can be concluded that 8 in 10 Indians surveyed need the government to take stringent action against the production and sale of chewable tobacco products.

Market Size Of Pan Masala In India

As per EntrepreneurIndia, the market size of the Pan Masala business in India reached a value of Rs 42200 crores in the year 2020. It is further expected to grow at a rate of 10 per cent between 2021 and 2026 to reach a market size of value of Rs 74760 crore in the year 2026. As mentioned before, pan masala is just a a non-tobacco product containing areca nuts, slaked lime, catechu, and seasonings.

Survey Demographics

As per the information available on LocalCircles website, this particular survey received nearly 34,000 responses from citizens located in 318 districts of India. While 66 per cent of respondents were men, the reset 34 per cent were women. 42 per cent of respondents were from tier 1 cities, 32 per cent were from tier 2 cities and 26 per cent respondents were from tier 3, 4 & rural districts.