Newmai News Network
Kohima | August 1
The Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland concerned over the high rate of tobacco consumption in the state both smoke and smokeless, especially by youngsters, on Friday organised a workshop for school teachers of Dimapur district to sensitize them about the use of tobacco amongst school children.
As per statistics available, tobacco consumption in Nagaland is found to be 48%, where male tobacco users comprises 68%, female tobacco users 28%, school children smoking 37%, male school children smoking 55%, female school children smoking 18%, school children tobacco users 41%, male school children smokeless form users 50% and female school children smokeless form users 33%.
Deputy Director, Health & Family Welfare Department, Dr H Chishi said that school children continue to smoke, therefore teachers need to be sensitised about the ill effects of smoking and tobacco use.
He said that consumption of tobacco in Nagaland in very high, therefore the Department of Health & Family Welfare is the Nodal Department for Tobacco control in the state, which is taking the initiative of creating awareness about the ill-effects of smoking and use of other tobacco related products.
He said that all the CMOs have been designated as Nodal Officers in their respective districts and with the help of other doctors, they are carrying out anti-tobacco campaigns in the state.
It is now upto the School Education Department to come out with a notification directing the schools to create awareness amongst the teachers and students, he said. Earlier, inaugurating the workshop, Assistant Commissioner, Dimapur, Dr Pooja Pandey underlined the ill effects of tobacco on the health of individuals and the various diseases people suffer.
She said that tobacco can cause 14 types of cancer and asked the participants to spread the message about the ill effects of smoking and tobacco use.
Around 40 schools participated in the workshop, wherein teachers were told to take initiatives to make their school campus smoke and tobacco free by not allowing any school staff, students, parents and visitors smoke or consume any tobacco product in the school. They were also asked to check that no vendors, kiosk owners and shopkeepers selling any tobacco products within the radius of 100 yards.
Meanwhile, under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), the Health & Family Welfare Department has formulated school level activities on Tobacco control laws and every schoolteacher are expected to carry out anti-tobacco activities in their respective schools.
It may be mentioned here that globally, tobacco kills 5.4 million people every year and more than 80% of the deaths occur in the developing world.
According to Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, by 2010 nearly one million people will die because of smoking in India every year and 70% of smokers, who will dies will be between the age of 30 and 69.
