New Delhi, Oct 7 || Even as oral cancer is becoming a major public health issue in India, a new study on Tuesday urged the need for more effective warning signs on tobacco products to help prevent the risk of mouth cancer, which affects the tissues in the mouth and throat.
Despite having a law regulating tobacco production and sale, a national programme for tobacco control and prevention, and a national programme for oral cancer prevention and screening in place, the burden of oral cancer continues to rise in India.
With over 1,35,000 new cases reported annually, India reports the highest burden of oral cancer globally. Although preventable, the country accounts for nearly one-third of the global incidence of the disease, as per GLOBOCAN 2020 and the National Cancer Registry Programme.
"The warning sign on tobacco products is the most effective way of reaching out to tobacco consumers. Research should focus on designing more effective warning signs to prevent tobacco use initiation and promote tobacco cessation," Parth Sharma, Department of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, told.