Epidemiology, control and prevention of tobacco induced oral mucosal lesions in India

Oral cancer is one of the leading causes of human morbidity and mortality especially in developing countries like India. Tobacco consumption in smokeless and smoking form along with alcohol is considered as the primary risk factors. Tobacco is a major health challenge with various tobacco products available for use which are known to have deleterious effects on the oral mucosa. The oral lesions caused by tobacco are inclusive of those that are less likely to progress to cancer; lesions with increased tendency to develop into cancer and cancerous lesions. Prevention and control of tobacco induced oral mucosal lesions is the prime requisite currently and mainly involves measures undertaken at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Primary prevention plays a pivotal role in tobacco induced lesions and steps can be taken at policy level, community as well as individual level. This review paper focuses on the epidemiological data of tobacco induced oral mucosal lesions in India available in the literature with an overview on various strategies for their prevention and control.