Nagaland, with 57% tobacco users, ranked as the second highest tobacco consumer after Mizoram (67%) in India. Goa has the least use of tobacco at 9%.
Asenla Jamir, psychologist, District Tobacco Control Cell, Kohima, Department of Health & Family Welfare termed such trend as a “bad sign” for the state of Nagaland.
She told the shopkeepers during a sensitization programme for shopkeepers on harmful effects of tobacco & implementation of COTPA 2003, held here today that tobacco is the foremost preventable cause of disease and death in the world today. There are 1 billion smokers in the world and tobacco kills 5.4 million people every year globally, she said adding that 90% of oral cancers are due to tobacco use.
India is the third largest tobacco producer in the world and second largest consumer in the world. 1 million Indians die every year due to tobacco.
Jamir said India has the largest number of oral cancer in the world of which 40% of all cancers in India are due to tobacco. 2200 Indians die every day due to tobacco use, she said adding that every 8 seconds an Indian dies due to tobacco related disease.
TOBACCO USE SCENARIO IN NAGALAND
• Tobacco consumption: 57%
• Male tobacco users: 68%
• Female tobacco users: 28%
• School children smoking: 37%
• Male school children smoking: 55%
• Female school children smoking: 18%
• School children using smokeless tobacco: 41%
• Male school children using smokeless tobaccos: 50%
• Female school children using smokeless tobacco: 33%
-Source: Global School Personal Survey (GSPS) 2003. NFHS -2(1998-1999, NSS (1993-1994).