Govt anti-tobacco drive hits consumption hurdle

Guwahati: The socially accepted culture of tobacco consumption in the state has become the biggest stumbling block for the government’s tobacco control programme on the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day (WNTD) on Tuesday. Assam had above 48.2% tobacco users in the last Global Adult Tobacco Survey, which is one of the highest in the country, followed by Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.
The WNTD campaign is aimed to create awareness among people on the environmental impact of tobacco — from cultivation, production, distribution and waste.
Arundhati Deka, state nodal officer, National Tobacco Control Programme, Assam, said, “The young generation is getting addicted to tobacco. Many people don’t take tobacco consumption as a bad habit in the state but think of it as a part of culture. Areca nut is culturally and socially accepted in Assam.” While 50% of all cancers and 90% of oral cancers are caused by tobacco, Deka noted 50.5% of men and 32.5% of women and 41.7% of all adults currently use smokeless tobacco in Assam. “About 15% of all adults are exposed to second-hand smoke at any public place,” she added.
While alcohol remains unaccepted in many families, she said parents are hardly worried about gutkha and tobacco consumption by children. “Nicotine is a highly addictive substance in tobacco but is very difficult to quit.”