Dimapur, November 30 (MExN): Nagaland recorded a significant drop of 14 percent in tobaccos usage for people 15 years and above of age during the last 5 years.
This was revealed in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016 (GATS-2) for NE states which was declared in Guwahati on November 24. A press note from the District Nodal Officer, NTCP Dimapur informed that the prevalence rate in 2010 was 57% and in 2016 it came down to 43%. Further, the state’s tobacco prevalence rank in the NE slipped from 2nd to 7th.
“This drop is significant because unlike Mizoram and Sikkim where there is strong political will for toibacco control, in Nagaland the situation is different. The success is attributed to the awareness created by the health department and the positive role played by the media,” the press note stated.
It further noted that all institutions have played a crucial role as many colleges and schools have integrated anti tobacco measures into the institutional system and they are sustaining it in their own ways.
However, despite the progress made, it stated that the current tobacco prevalence rate of 43 percent is still very high and way ahead of the national average of 29 percent.
“There are some real areas of concern and so we need to sustain the campaign in order to bring it down to acceptable level,” the NTCP added. It therefore called for political will and proactive role by the churches towards reducing the social acceptance of tobacco habit in Naga society.
