India ranks second in the number of smokers aged between 16 and 64 years and is among nations with the lowest quit rates, according to a new report.

The report prepared by the International Commission to Reignite the Fight Against Smoking using secondary data from sources like the World Bank said that China and India were home to more than 500 million tobacco users between the ages of 16 and 64.

“India ranks second with 250,002,133 smokers between 16 and 64 years of age. Tobacco prevalence in India is three times higher among men than women. India also accounts for some of the highest rates of smokeless tobacco use and oral cancer in the world,” the report said.

According to the report, 37 per cent of Indian respondents showed a desire to quit smoking. However, India is among the countries with the lowest quit rates for smoking. The rates for men are less than 20 per cent, it noted.

The report said tobacco killed nearly eight million people annually.

According to the report, nearly all countries have banned the marketing and direct sale of tobacco products to children but in low-to-middle-income countries, these prohibitions are not rigorously enforced.

The report cites data from Consumer Voice 2019, which states that despite prohibitions in India, a study of areas around 243 schools found nearby vendors displaying tobacco products in ways that are appealing to children.

“Around 91 per cent of displays were at 1 metre (at a child’s eye level.) An estimated 54 per cent of the points of sale have no visible health warning; and 90 per cent of displays were beside candy, sweets and toys, items marketed to children,” it said.