Policy reform can save Indian users $19 bn in healthcare costs, finds study

According to the study, current non-users among the younger age groups, who, the model predicts, will take up the habit in future, account for a bigger share of the healthcare costs, compared to current users.

Khaini, gutkha and pan masala are some of the smokeless tobacco products, which deliver an addictive nicotine fix, when chewed, snuffed, or applied to the teeth and gums. 

The researchers noted that these products are a big hit in South Asia. Nearly 300 million people in these countries, who consume smokeless tobacco, represent 5…