Thejus, TJayakrishnan, T2019-09-252019-09-252011-03-162009-040975-5691http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12424/177049"The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that India has the second largest number of smokers in the world after China (1). According to the National Family Health Survey-3, 2005-06, 57% of adult men and 3.1% of adult women used one or more tobacco products (2). The Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2006 estimated that in India 17.3% of boys and 9.75 % of girls in the age group 13-15 are using a tobacco product. In poor households, up to 10.5% of the household income is spent on tobacco (3). According to the report Tobacco control in India, 800,000- 900,000 Indians die annually due to diseases attributable to tobacco−50% of cancer deaths, 40% of all health-related problems, and a majority of cardio-vascular and lung disorders in the country. WHO predicts that nearly one million Indians will die from smoking alone in 2010 and 70% of these deaths will be prematureengWith permission of the license/copyright holderfamily ethicshealth ethicscommunication ethicsBioethicsMedical ethicsHealth ethicsArticle