Tobacco control is losing groundLast week the Ministry of Health, allied with health experts and policymakers, called for an increase in the consumption tax on cigarettes. The country ranks among the world’s top 15 countries with the heaviest tobacco consumption, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey’s study. World Health Organisation experts said the health and social toll of tobacco use may take up to 20-25 years to manifest in full form. Simply take a walk around the country’s major cities and the failure of our tobacco prevention programme is evident. Public health should not be treated as an economic equation and our policies on the use of tobacco should clearly reflect that.