Tobacco consumption--Mizoram

Newmai News Network Aizawl, November 7 The latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GAT) report said that 67.2% of Mizoram population uses different types of tobacco products. Following the report, Mizoram State Tobacco Control Society Nodal Officer Dr Jane Ralte said as per GATS in 2009-2010, the estimate number of tobacco users in India is 274.9 million. The highest tobacco user in India and the world is Mizoram at 67.2 percent followed by Nagaland at 57 percent, while Goa ranked the lowest at 9 percent, the officer said.   While the percentage of male using tobacco in India is 47.9, in Mizoram 72.5 percent of males used different types of tobacco products and 61.6 percent of females also used tobacco against the national record of 20.3 percent.   According to the Mizoram State Tobacco Control Society Nodal Officer, the number of people using smokeless tobacco in Mizoram is 41 percent and  the number of people using smoke tobacco is 39.7 percent. Daily cigarette smoker is recorded at 33.1 percent, while daily bidi smoker is recorded at 4.4 percent in Mizoram. Dr Ralte also said that Mizoram has ranked second in smoking after Meghalaya.   Dr Jane Ralte said that the number of adults exposed to second hand smoke in Mizoram is 96.5 percent (at home), 64.6 percent (at work place) and 27.3 percent (at any public place) respectively.   The monthly expenditure on cigarettes by current manufactured cigarette smoker in Mizoram  is Rs 718, while monthly expenditure on bidis by a current bidi smoker is Rs 113.4, Dr Ralte said quoting the GATS’s report.   Dr Jane Ralte also said that as per survey conducted in 2009-2010, in Mizoram the number of smoker is high among teenager aging 15-17. Quit rate of smoking is lowest in Mizoram among Indian states which is recorded at 2.2 percent.   The Mizoram State Tobacco Control Society Nodal Officer said that GATS is being currently conducted in different parts of India and measures are being underway to conduct survey in all districts of Mizoram. Comprehensive study and survey on tobacco use will be conducted in urban and rural areas of Mizoram, she said.   According to Indian Society on Tobacco & Health Mizoram Chapter President  Lal Riliani, awareness programme on the impact of tobacco use has little impact among teenagers and youth in Mizoram. She however, pointed out that the awareness campaign on impact of tobacco which not only affecting health, but also means wastage of money, launched by Indian Society on Tobacco & Health Mizoram Chapter Mizoram since its inception in 1989 has produced positive result.   Meanwhile, as per the initiative taken by Indian Society on Tobacco & Health Mizoram Chapter Mizoram, Tobacco Quiters society has been formed in Mizoram.