FDA proposes ban on menthol cigarettes, flavoured cigars

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The US Food and Drug Administration issued a long-awaited proposal to ban menthol cigarettes and flavoured cigars.

• The proposal aims to ban menthol as a specific flavouring in cigarettes and all characteristic flavours in cigars.

• The proposed rule will help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help in quitting adult smoking addiction.

• The proposed rule will help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help in quitting adult smoking addiction.

• Brazil was the first country in the world to ban menthol cigarettes in 2012.

• In 2019, the Government of India banned electronic cigarettes and different states have their own rules for banning the consumption of hookah in public places.

• Tobacco Consumption in India

• As per the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, India has the second largest number (268 million) of tobacco users in the world.

• Every year 1.3 million people in India die due to tobacco-related diseases.

• One million deaths are caused by smoking.

• In India, about 270 million people above 15 years of age and 8.5% of school children in the age group of 13-15 years use tobacco in some form or the other.

• Tobacco consumption incurs an economic burden of Rs 1,77,340 crore annually in India.

• About 27 percent of cancers in India are caused by tobacco use.