DTMT Network

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has added two more drugs to its essential medicines list to help people addicted to nicotine, to quit tobacco, a statement released by the organisation said.
With this addition, the total medicines added to the list of essential medicines to help people to quit tobacco have gone up to seven.

The United States Foods and Drug Administration has already included bupropion and varenicline on its list of medicines for smoking cessation.

According to the available estimates, about eight million people die each year from health conditions that can be directly linked to tobacco usage.

Among other diseases, the direct association of tobacco with cardiovascular diseases, lung disorders, cancers, diabetes is well established.

With this, the scope of the cost of reduction of the prices of these medicines in India has brightened. Currently, a 28-day therapy with varenicline in the country cost as much as 1,700 rupees.

As per estimates by WHO, about 28.6% of the population aged 15 and above are tobacco users of whom 10.7% are smokers.

The latest round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) of India estimates that 15.86% of the women 40.82% of the men were tobacco users in India, among the 22 states the data for which are available.

The total economic costs from all diseases in India due to tobacco use exceeds more than 1.77 lakh crore annually.