Groups stress on tobacco control

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By Admin

Guwahati: Two consumer rights organisations on Sunday stressed that the Assam government should strengthen tobacco control efforts, while citing the Global Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS2) that found that 48.2 per cent adults in the state use tobacco in any form.

The two NGOs - Guwahati-based Consumer Legal Protection Forum (CLPF) and the Consumer Voice, New Delhi - stressed that the measures by state government must also focus on awareness on health and financial burden posed by tobacco use.

The NGOs said GATS2 findings that 62.9 per cent male and 32.9 per cent female using tobacco in any form was a serious cause of concern for the state, which sees nearly 30,000 cancer cases almost every year.

The secretary of CLPF, Ajoy Hazarika, said though national average tobacco consumption reduced between 2009-10 and 2016-16, the same increased in Assam from 39.3 per cent to 48.2 per cent during the same period.

"The increase in tobacco consumption in Assam is an indicator that the government needs to strengthen tobacco control efforts and people need to be more aware of the health and financial burden that tobacco use brings with it," Hazarika said in a statement.

GATS2 found 41.7 per cent adults using smokeless tobacco of which 50.5 per cent male and 32.5 women.

The mean age at initiation of tobacco use has increased from 18.1 years in GATS1 to 18.5 years in GATS2.

"The rise in number of tobacco users, especially smokeless, is a cause of worry because it is easily accessible to children and youth. We are working in the state through our programmes to protect the public, especially youth and children from exposure to tobacco use," said Ashim Sanyal, the chief operating officer of the Consumer Voice, New Delhi.

Tobacco use is the leading single preventable cause of deaths worldwide. Each year an estimated seven million deaths are attributed to the use of tobacco.

India is the third largest tobacco producing nation and second largest consumer of tobacco world-wide.

Mortality because of tobacco in India is estimated at upwards of 1.3 million, Sanyal said.

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