The Centre has decided to widen the scope of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act to bring new forms of communication.

Speaking to reporters, Women and Child Welfare Minister, Maneka Gandhi said since the enactment of the Act, technological revolution had resulted in the development of new forms of communication such as internet, multi-media messaging, cable television, over-the-top (OTT) services and applications such as Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, Chat on, Snapchat, and Instagram among others necessitating the amendments.   

The enacted the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (IRWA), 1986 to prohibit indecent representation of women through advertisements, publications, writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner.  

Keeping in mind these technological advancements, it has been decided to widen the scope of the law so as to cover such forms of media on one hand and to strengthen the existing safeguards to prevent indecent representation of women through any media form on the other. Hence, the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2012 was introduced in Rajya Sabha December, 2012 which referred the Bill to Department related Parliament Standing Committee for consideration.

Based on the observations made by Parliamentary Standing Committee and recommendation made by the National Commission for Women on the basis of consultation with civil society groups and likeminded individuals, WCD has proposed amendments in IRWA keeping in mind the recent technological advancement in the field of communications such as social media platforms, over the top services etc.

The reformulated Bill proposes following amendments in the parent Act:

Amendment in definition of term advertisement to include digital form or electronic form or hoardings, or through SMS, and MMS,

Amendment in definition of distribution to include publication, license or uploading using computer resource, or communication device or in

Insertion of a new definition to define the term publish. 

Amendment in section 4 to include that No person shallpublish or distribute or cause to be published or cause to be distributed by any means any materialwhich contains indecent representation of women in any form:

Penalty similar to that provided under the Information Technology Act, 2000

The Parliamentary Committee has also recommended creation of a Centralised Authority under the aegis of National Commission of Women (NCW). This Authority will be headed by Member Secretary, NCW, having representatives from Advertising Standards Council of India, Press Council of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one member having experience of working on women issues.

This Centralised Authority will be authorized to receive complaints or grievances regarding any programme or advertisement broadcasted or publication and investigate/ examine all matters relating to the indecent representation of women.

A coalition of civil society organisations in Tamil Nadu has demanded an immediate ban on Sterlite following the death of 15 protestors in police firing on May 22 at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.

‘Coordinating Committee for People’s Inquest into Thoothukudi Police Firing’ organised by People’s Inquest (PI) on June 2-3, 2018 at Thoothukudi and its suburbs, into the targeted kllings, has recommended that the plant should be dismantled and the area cleared.

As per the latest records, 15 protestors were killed and more than a hundred severely injured in protests against the Sterlite Copper plant. May 22, 2018, marked the 100^th day of protests against the Sterlite Copper plant. 

A memorial for those killed by the police should be created by the TN Government, an importantly, establish who ordered the shooting and killing and make them accountable as per the law, and action against those who were responsible for the killings, injuries and continuous unlawful search, assault and harassment of the people are some other major recommendations of the inquest.

The inquest was done by a 23-member committee comprising people from different walks of life and the objectives of the inquest were to ascertain the facts that led to the continued protests in Tuticorin over the years and particularly in the last 100 days, to ascertain the facts and circumstances of the incidents which lead to the police firing through gathering statements from eye-witnesses, family of the deceased, meeting the officials from Tuticorin district administration, Tuticorin district police department, representatives of the Anti-Sterlite protest committee and to ascertain who authorized the firing and under what circumstances.

Sterlite Copper started its operations in Tamil Nadu in 1996 by setting up a plant in Tuticorin district. Sterlite Cooper known as Sterlite Industrial India Ltd. is a a unit of Vedanta group that has setup smelter, refinery, acid plant, and copper road plant in the land allocated them in State Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu. There have been numerous complaints against the company of harming the environment and breaking the government environmental regulations. There are numerous reports which suggests that the company with help of its money power and political clout have gotten away with breaking laws.

The Thoothukudi Administration had called for a ‘peace meeting’, inviting the organisations and protesting villages’ representatives on May 20, 2018, prior to the community rally on May 22, 2018. It has been learnt from people’s testimonies that the administration used a selective approach in inviting the organisations and protesting villages’ representatives for the said meeting. People with whom the PI team interacted in Thoothukudi allege this to be a deliberate attempt of the administration to divide the anti-Sterlite movement. It has also been brought to the notice of the PI team that invitation sentto one such organisation (Makkal Adhikaram) was done to an individual who had no association with that organisation. 

The administration didn’t ensure that all organisations and individuals involved in anti-Sterlite movement are communicated with. The PI team observes that the district administration negotiating with only one set of the organisers made the bona fides of the administration suspect in the eyes of the people.

The People’s Inquest (PI) team observes with grave concerns about the absence of the District Collector (DC) in the above mentioned meeting. The meeting was led by the Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police (SP) along with the Sub Collector. As the head of the district administration, it was the DC who should have led the meeting and reached out to the people. This would have been more respectful to the people who have been protesting for close to 100 days. Role of the SP is solely towards maintaining law and order. Given that the protests were seen only as a law and order issue and the demands of the people overlooked, do raise doubts on the intentions of the district and state administration.

The PI team observes several gaps in Section 144 imposition. The administration was fully aware about the anti-Sterlite protests at District Collectorate on May 22, 2018 well in advance and despite that waited till its eve for imposing Section 144, which do appear only symbolic. Section 144 was imposed only at 8PM on May 21, 2018. As gathered from people’s testimonies, after the Section 144 imposition, announcements were not made by the administration in most areas, to reach the information to the people. People got to know about the same only through television news around 9:30 PM on May 21, 2018 and in the newspapers the next day. It is evident that these channels were too late to communicate to the people and wouldn’t have deterred the protesters who were entering into the 100th days of the peaceful anti-Sterlite protests. It is important to note, given that Section 144 was imposed in only two PS jurisdictions, there was no legal restriction on the protesters to walk for as many as 15 kilometres, to enable them to reach and assemble at the District Collectorate.

The PI team observes that there has been clear irregularity in the process through which Section 144 was imposed and implemented. The DC has abdicated all his responsibilities.

A Jaipur court has directed the Rajasthan police department to begin an investigation into cruelty carried out against the elephants used as a tourist attraction at Amer Fort.

This court order came after a complaint filed by Gauri Maulekhi, Trustee, People for Animals, and Government Liaison for Humane Society International/India.

The complaint filed at the Amer Court by Gauri Maulekhi asks to provide relief to the elephants under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The approximately 103 elephants at Amer Fort carry tourists up and down a steep slope at Amer Fort. They are housed in Haathi Gaon, a concrete housing structure around 4 kilometres away.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has conducted multiple investigations in the past disclosing the conditions under which these elephants labor. They suffer from the blows of the ankush or bullhook, which is prohibited, and from beating, kicking, tethering, and insufficient diet and inadequate medical care. If the investigation finds the complaint made by the complainant valid, the police will be required to file a first information report and submit the investigation report to the court.

Gauri Maulekhi said; “We are happy with the order of the court. We are confident that our concerns will be proven in the police department’s investigation. This is a landmark order and we believe it is the beginning of the end of the torture that these elephants have suffered for so long.”

A recent report by the AWBI showed that many of these elephants used for foreign tourists suffer from tuberculosis (TB). In addition, most of the 103 elephants have open wounds, scars, are chained when not working and display stereotypical behaviour that entails repetitive movements for long durations of time like swaying side to side or back and forth due to suffering from lack of natural mental stimulation. The foreign tourists who frequent the elephant rides are often unaware of the cruelty behind them.

Humane Society International and its partner organisations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organisations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide. 

Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) – a conglomerate of health experts has described as `arbitary’ the constitution of a high level commission on health and has questioned its skewed composition.

Given the government’s recent initiative for an insurance based National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), we are concerned that this is an exercise in preparing the ground such that the private sector would benefit the most from its rollout, a statement issued here has said.

That the formation of the committee with a mandate with wide-ranging consequences, has avoided media attention is also a matter of great concern. Jan Swasthya Abhiyan has lodged a strong protest against the constitution of this group and urges the government to revoke this committee.

Health is an important public policy matter and any committee constituted to frame policies or provide recommendations related to it should be representative of all interests and sections in the society. The Finance Commission is a constitutional body vested with specific powers related to financial devolution. It has no role in planning for health and should not be given any responsibility that would be an overreach of its powers, the statement said.

The fifteenth Finance Commission has constituted a High-Level Group “to examine the strengths and weaknesses for enabling balanced expansion of health sector”. Dr.Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, New Delhi is appointed convenor with Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health City, Bengaluru, Dr. Dileep Govind Mhaisekar, Vice Chancellor, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Pune, Dr. Naresh Trehan, Medanta City, Gurgaon, Dr.Bhabatosh Biswas, Prof & HOD of Cardio Thoracic Surgery, R.G.Kar Medical College, Kolkata and Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, President of Public Health Foundation of India as members.

The roles and responsibilities assigned to the group are:

To evaluate the existing regulatory framework in the health sector and examine its strengths and weaknesses for enabling a balanced yet faster expansion of the health sector keeping in view India’s demographic profile;

To suggest ways and means to optimize the use of existing financial resources and to incentivize the state governments’ effort on fulfilment of well-defined health parameters in India; and

To holistically examine best international practices for the health sector and seek to benchmark our frameworks to these practices for optimizing benefits keeping in mind our local issues.

The JSA has said that the constitution of the group and its roles and functions raise many questions including who gave the Finance Commission the mandate.

Under the Constitution, Finance Commission has been given the responsibility to make recommendations to the government regarding the distribution of the net proceeds of taxes between the centre and the States and among the States, provision of grants in aid from the centre to the States. Nowhere in the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the fifteenth Finance Commission, are there any specific references related to regulation of health sector. Previously, a High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) on universal health coverage was constituted under the Planning Commission by the UPA government. This was justified since it came under the purview of the Planning Commission’s mandate. Health is a state subject and the formation of the group under the aegis of the Finance Commission is clearly an overreach by the centre on States’ powers, the JSA has said.

The composition of the group is highly problematic. Out of the five members, two are extremely prominent names in the field of private corporate healthcare. This is a form of ‘regulatory capture’ where entities who need to be regulated capture regulatory institutions. Further, a majority of the group are clinicians specialised in tertiary care, and there is an absence of other health professionals. There are no representatives from either the central or the state health ministries or their agencies in this group. Neither is there representation of civil society organisations, media, activist, legal or consumer groups. All the members are male, exhibiting a clear gender bias, the statement said.

The first point in the ToR is about evaluation of the existing regulatory framework for the expansion of the health sector. The term “health sector” has a discernible market connotation and it is not clear whether this “expansion” is aimed at strengthening of the existing public health delivery system or is it directed at further strengthening the corporate health care industry. It is also not clear whether the regulatory framework here refers to the Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 or similar state laws.

The second role assigned to the group is about incentivizing “the state government’s effort on fulfillment of well-defined health parameters” amounts to usurping the role of the central health ministry and it is unclear whether states will be consulted. Further, in the third point there are no clear indications whether the examination of the said “international best practices” are for the benefit of public health system or the private healthcare industry. There is also a mention of “our frameworks” and it is unclear whether this refers to the current regulatory framework which is the Clinical Establishment Act or a regulatory framework for health insurance or whether it refers to the need to revisit specific standards such as the Indian Public Health Standard (IPHS) or the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH).

YOKOSUKA (JAPAN): Naval ships, aircraft and personnel from India, Japan and the United States will participate in exercise Malabar 2018, in mid-summer 2018 off the coast of Guam. 

Malabar 2018 is the first time the exercise will be conducted off the coast of Guam, and the latest in a continuing series of exercises that has grown in scope and complexity over the years to address the variety of shared threats to maritime security. 

The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training off the coast of Guam in the Philippine Sea. Training will focus on high-end warfighting skillsets, subject matter expert and professional exchanges, combined carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, surface and anti-submarine warfare, medical operations, damage control, helicopter operations and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations. 

Indian, Japanese and U.S. maritime forces will be working together again to build upon and advance their working relationship, according to a US Embassy release. 

Each iteration of this exercise helps to increase the level of understanding between sailors and inter-operability between our three navies. 

NEW DELHI : Concerned over China’s activities on water diversion projects involving the Brahmaputra river, Bangladesh which shares 54 rivers with India has demanded upgradation of the existing Indo-Bangla Joint River Commission (JRC) to a river basin management system .

Addressing a meet the press programme at the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) here on Thursday, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzam Ali said the crucial topic came for discussion between Prime  Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week when they met in West Bengal. Sheikh Hasina was on a two-day visit to West Bengal during which she also met State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Admitting that water sharing remains a “very sensitive’’ issue between the two countries, the High Commissioner said that Dhaka had also noted with concern China’s refusal to share data pertaining to rivers with India. “Our Prime Minister also impressed upon Mr. Modi to undertake joint dredging operations in our rivers which should be taken up simultaneously. She also pointed to the need for upgrading the joint river commission to an institutional system of basin management which would take care of other related issues as well because there will be a better coordination,’’ he said.

As Bangladesh is keen to have an agreement with India on Teesta water sharing which remains blocked due to objections by West Bengal government, the High Commissioner expressed the hope that the State government would come on board after internal discussions with the Union government and Sikkim government.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in her annual press conference on May 28, had also said that it was important for West Bengal government to be on board for any agreement with Bangladesh on sharing of Teesta water.  

Asked if Teesta agreement could come about before December when general elections in Bangladesh are due, he said Dhaka would be looking at it in a positive way as BIMSTEC summit is also due to be held in November. “We are trying to make right kind of progress on this issue as well as on repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar who have taken shelter in  Bangladesh,’’ he said.

On the status of Indo-Bangla relations, the High Commissioner said the bilateral ties were at an all time high level, adding that he could feel that the 1971 spirit was back.

Syed Muazzam Ali said that India and Bangladesh which has 4,000 km running border with India has settled land and maritime boundaries with India and gave the credit for it to the two Prime Ministers – Mr. Modi and Sheikh Hasina. He said that Dhaka has declared “zero tolerance’’ policy towards terrorism and added that a viable and secure Bangladesh would be to the advantage of India. “Similarly, a vibrant India will offer a great opportunity for economic development of Bangladesh,’’ the freedom fighter-diplomat said.

United Nations human rights experts have condemned the apparent excessive and disproportionate use of force by police against protesters calling for the closure of a copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu over health and environmental concerns.

The plant is run by Sterlite Copper, a business unit of Vedanta Ltd., which is a subsidiary of the UK-based company, Vedanta Resources.

Police opened fire on thousands of protesters on 22 May, reportedly killing 12 people and injuring dozens of others marching against the expansion of the heavily polluting copper smelter in the southern port city of Thoothukudi.

The protest marked the 100th day of demonstrations against the copper smelting facility that had been proceeding peacefully. According to reports, protesters set fire to vehicles and threw stones at officers after being denied permission to march to the District Collectorate.

“We are extremely concerned by the apparent disproportionate and excessive use of force, including the use of live ammunition, against protesters marching to raise legitimate human rights and environmental concerns”, the experts said.

“We call on the Indian authorities to carry out an independent and transparent investigation, without delay, and to ensure that perpetrators of human rights violations be held accountable. The Government should uphold the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, as they are the cornerstone of democratic societies and a critical tool to identify and protect against business-related human rights abuses.”

The experts noted that local and national judicial and administrative bodies have documented water contamination, air pollution and other forms of environmental degradation linked to the copper smelting plant and related activities.

“Under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, all business enterprises have a responsibility to respect human rights, including identifying, preventing, mitigating and accounting for how they address their adverse human rights impacts,” the experts said, calling on Sterlite Copper as well as its parent company, Vedanta Resources, to take immediate measures to mitigate pollution and to ensure access to safe water and health care.

“We urge the Indian Government to take all the necessary measures to ensure that all business enterprises respect national as well as international human rights and environmental norms, and that the Sterlite Copper’s smelting plant resumes operations only after meaningful consultation with affected communities and when fully complying with Indian environmental laws,” a joint statement issued by the experts has said.

The signatories are: Ms Anita Ramasastry, Chair of UN Working Group on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, Mr Baskut Tuncak, Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, Ms Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Mr Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Mr David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Mr. Clément Nyaletsossi Voulé, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Mr. John H. Knox, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment; Mr. Léo Heller Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

The UN experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent human rights monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. The experts are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.

SINGAPORE: Hailing the rising East which has inspired India for thousands of years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that India’s vision for the Indo-Pacific Region remains a positive one.

With each Southeast Asian country, he said, India has growing political, economic and defence relations.

Addressing the prestigious Shangri-La Dialogue here, Mr. Modi said India does not see the Indo-Pacific Region as a strategy or as a club of limited members and nor as a grouping that seeks to dominate or being directed against any country.

He is the first Indian Prime Minister to deliver the key-note address at Shangri-La Dialogue. In his nearly one-hour long speech, Mr. Modi stressed upon the need of cooperation among all nations in an inter-dependent world to meet the challenges of terrorism, cyber security, protecting the planet and non-proliferation.  He said India seeks to cooperate for architecture of peace and security in the region. 

Unveiling India’s vision, Mr. Modi said India stands “for a free, open, inclusive region, which embraces us all in a common pursuit of progress and prosperity. It includes all nations in this geography as also others beyond who have a stake in it.’’
  
Stressing that the common prosperity and security require the nations in the region to evolve, through dialogue, a common rules-based order for the region, Mr. Modi said it must equally apply to all individually as well as to the global commons.
  
“We should all be equally permitted to benefit from the use of common spaces on sea and in the air without discrimination. When we all agree to live by that code, our sea lanes will be pathways to prosperity and corridors of peace,’’ he said.

  
Seeking a level playing field for all, Mr. Modi said solutions cannot be found behind walls of protection, but in embracing change. 
  
“India stands for open and stable international trade regime. We will also support rule-based, open, balanced and stable trade environment in the Indo-Pacific Region, which lifts up all nations on the tide of trade and investment,’’ he said. 
  
Prime Minister Modi cautioned that Asia of rivalry will hold us all back and Asia of cooperation will shape this century.  “So, each nation must ask itself: are its choices building a more united world, or forcing new divisions? It is a responsibility that both existing and rising powers have. Competition is normal. But, contests must not turn into conflict; differences must not be allowed to become disputes,’’ he said.
  
Pointing to the real challenges of protecting our planet, non-proliferation and securing the people from terrorism and cyber threats, Mr Modi said these could be met when all nations work together.

Making a fervent appeal to global leaders and communities to rise above divisions and work together for a secure world, he said that no nation can shape and secure the world on its own.

“This is a world of inter-dependent fortunes and failures and no nation can shape and secure it on its own. It is a world that summons us to rise above divisions and competition to work together. Is that possible? Yes. It is possible. I see ASEAN as an example and inspiration,’’ Mr. Modi said.

“Three years ago, in Mauritius, I described our vision in one word – SAGAR, which means ocean in Hindi. And, S.A.G.A.R. stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region,’’ he said.

Mr. Modi said the Indian Ocean has shaped much of India’s history and it now holds the key to the future as well.

Describing Singapore as India’s springboard to the ASEAN, the Prime Minister said that it has been, for centuries, a gateway for India to the broader East.

He also touched upon India’s relations with the U.S., China and Russia.

“It is a measure of our strategic autonomy that India’s first Strategic Partnership, with Russia, has matured to be special and privileged,’’ he said.

On India’s global strategic partnership with the United States, he said it continues to deepen across the extraordinary breadth of the bilateral  relationship.

Referring to India-China cooperation which is expanding, Mr. Modi said trade is growing and both the countries have displayed maturity and wisdom in managing issues and ensuring a peaceful border. “There is growing intersection in our international presence,’’ he said.

New Delhi : It was found in many cases that black money was invested in properties in the names of others, even though benefits were enjoyed by the investor concealing his beneficial ownership in his tax returns. The Government had earlier amended Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988, by Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 to make the law stronger. With the objective of obtaining people’s participation in the Income Tax Department’s efforts to unearth black money and to reduce tax evasion, a new reward scheme titled “Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme, 2018”, has been issued by the Income Tax Department. This reward scheme is aimed at encouraging people to give information about benami transactions and properties as well as income earned on such properties by such hidden investors and beneficial owners.

Under the Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme, 2018, a person can get reward up to Rs. One crore for giving specific information in prescribed manner to the Joint or Additional Commissioners of Benami Prohibition Units (BPUs) in Investigation Directorates of Income Tax Department about benami transactions and properties as well as proceeds from such properties which are actionable under Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988, as amended by Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016.

Foreigners will also be eligible for such reward. Identity of the persons giving information will not be disclosed and strict confidentiality shall be maintained.

Details of the reward scheme are available in the Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme, 2018, copy of which is available in Income Tax offices and on the official website of Income Tax Department www.incometaxindia.gov.in .

Tobacco use has declined markedly since 2000, but the reduction is insufficient to meet globally agreed targets aimed at protecting people from death and suffering from cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), according to a new World Health Organisation (WHO).  Tobacco kills over 7 million people each year, despite the steady reduction in tobacco use globally, as shown in WHO’s new Global Report on Trends in Prevalence of Tobacco Smoking 2000-2025. The report shows that worldwide, 27% smoked tobacco in 2000, compared to 20% in 2016.
However, the pace of action in reducing tobacco demand and related death and disease is lagging behind global and national commitments to reduce tobacco use by 30%  by 2025 among people aged 15 and older. If the trend continues on the current trajectory, the world will only achieve a 22% reduction by 2025, the report says.
For World No Tobacco Day 2018, WHO has joined with the World Heart Federation to highlight the link between tobacco and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) –  the world’s leading causes of death, responsible for 44% of all NCD deaths, or 17.9 million deaths annually. Tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure are major causes of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and stroke, contributing to approximately 3 million deaths per year. But evidence reveals a serious lack of knowledge of the multiple health risks associated with tobacco. Â“Most people know that using tobacco causes cancer and lung disease, but many people aren’t aware that tobacco also causes heart disease and stroke – the world’s leading killers,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This World No Tobacco Day, WHO is drawing attention to the fact that tobacco doesn’t just cause cancer, it quite literally breaks hearts.”
While many people are aware tobacco use increases the risk of cancer, there are alarming gaps in knowledge of the cardiovascular risks of tobacco use. In many countries, this low awareness is substantial; for example, in China, over 60% of the population is unaware smoking can cause heart attacks, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey.In India and Indonesia, more than half of adults do not know smoking can cause stroke. Other main findings from the new report include change in smoking with 1.1 billion adult smokers in the world today, and at least 367 million smokeless tobacco users. The number of smokers in the world has barely changed this century: it was also 1.1 billion in 2000.  This is due to population growth, even as prevalence rates decline.

For males aged 15 and over, 43% smoked tobacco in 2000 compared to 34% in 2015. For females, 11% smoked in 2000, compared to 6% in 2015.

Around 6.5% of the global population aged 15 and over use smokeless tobacco (8.4% of males and 4.6% of females). 

Over half of all WHO Member States have reduced demand for tobacco, and almost one in eight are likely to meet the 30% reduction target by 2025. But countries must do more to monitor tobacco use in all its forms – not only tobacco smoking. Currently, one in four countries have insufficient data to monitor their tobacco epidemic.

Worldwide, about 7%, or just over 24 million children aged 13–15, smoke cigarettes (17 million boys and 7 million girls). About 4% of children aged 13–15 years (13 million) use smokeless tobacco products.

Over 80% of tobacco smokers live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICS). Prevalence of smoking is decreasing more slowly in LMICs than in high-income countries, and the number of smokers is on the increase in low-income countries. Dr Svetlana Axelrod, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for NCDs and mental health, says: “We know what policies and actions can increase tobacco quit rates, prevent people from starting using tobacco, and reduce demand. We must overcome obstacles to implementing measures like taxation, marketing bans and implementing plain packaging. Our best chance of success is through global unity and strong multisectoral action against the tobacco industry.” Countries have committed to reducing premature death from NCDs by one-third by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).  
The WHO FCTC entered into force in February 2005 and has today 181 Parties covering more than 90% of the world’s population.