43.3% State’s population are tobacco users
With 21% of the State’s population hooked on to it, Nagaland has the highest consumption of pan masala with tobacco in the country – 24% among men and 18% among women. This was disclosed by National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) Kohima district nodal officer Dr Arenla Walling while addressing a function organised by Kohima District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC) to mark the World No Tobacco Day on Thursday.
World No Tobacco Day was observed across the State with various activities to spread awareness on the ill-effects of tobacco use.
Meanwhile, in her presentation at the programme with the theme “Tobacco and heart disease” held at DBT Hall, Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) here, Walling stated that tobacco users in the State currently stood at 43.3% (4.3% only smoking, 8.9% both smoking & smokeless and 30.1% smokeless) as per a survey conducted by Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in 2016-2017.
She informed the gathering that tobacco consumption among males in the State was 54 %, while among the females it was 32%, adding that the most commonly used tobacco products are pan masala with tobacco (21.1%), betel quid with tobacco (17.5%), khaini (10.1%), bidi (9.9%) and gutkha (9.4%).
She also said exposure to second-hand smoke at home was 68%, 27% at work places and 23% at public places.
According to Walling, the average monthly expenditure of tobacco users on cigarettes is Rs 1,474 per month and Rs 266 per month on bidis.
On the positive side, the district nodal officer said Nagaland’s status as one of country’s top tobacco-using State in the country has gone down – it is now ranked 7th (43.3%) from the earlier rank of 2nd (56.8%). Even in the Northeast, the State is now ranked 8th.
The district nodal officer claimed that smoking in the State too has gone down from 31.5% to 13.2% and smokeless tobacco use from 45.3 to 39%. The figures of tobacco users mulling to quit their habits due to warning labels on tobacco packets are 34% for cigarettes, 46% for bidis and 28% for smokeless tobacco, she added.
Similarly, 68% smokers believe that smoking has done harm to their bodies and among the smokeless tobacco users the feeling is 60%.
Walling also highlighted various activities undertaken for students by DTCC like essay writing, painting and slogan writing competitions in various schools in order to spread awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco, besides conducting trainings for teachers, health workers, enforcement officials, shopkeepers, hotel managers, head of educational institutions and gaon buras. She said community sensitisation programmes were held at churches, fellowships, vacation Bible schools and youth camps.
She said enforcement officials and DTCC teams conducted checks under Section 4 and 6(a)(b) of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 and defaulters were fined and tobacco products confiscated.
She informed the audience that a Tobacco Cessation Centre has been set up at Naga Hospital where tobacco users are given counselling. Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Smokerlyzer device is used to test carbon monoxide content among smokers, she added.
Walling said altogether 74 schools (21 government and 53 private), seven colleges and two teaching institutes in Kohima district have been declared as tobacco-free institutions. Similarly, three villages, viz., Gariphema (declared first tobacco-free village of Nagaland on May 31, 2016), Jotsoma (May 31, 2017) and Khonoma (May 31, 2017) are tobacco free now, she added.
Further, 24 dental clinics were declared as tobacco-free dental clinics on November 24, 2016, and Sievituo Solo (founder of Project 72 hours) is the official ambassador for Tobacco Smoke Free Kohima Campaign.
Speaking on the occasion, NHAK’s medical specialist Dr Vanlalruati Nyuthe remarked that heart disease prevalence has increased in the last 30 years from 1% to 10% in urban and from less than 1% to 4-6% in rural areas.
Stating that smoking among men and women were 22.8% and 2.4% respectively as per World Health Organisation data of 2015, he, however, added that smoking was declining among the educated class and urban population, though there was an upsurge of smokers in rural areas and among the less-educated people. He warned that 40% of cigarette smokers would die prematurely unless they quit their habit.
Nyuthe also enlightened the audience about various disease attributed to smoking like coronary artery disease, aortic aneurysm, peripheral vascular diseases in non-diabetic population and hemorrhagic and ischemic CVA. She urged the gathering to spend time with smokers to encourage and help them quit smoking.
In his address, NCD State nodal officer Dr Nchumbemo Ezung urged the gathering to work together to make the State smoke free and change lifestyles to avoid smoking and tobacco-related diseases. Cautioning smokers, he said smoking was the main factor for shortening life. He also highlighted various upcoming government plans and programmes vis-à-vis NTCP.
The programme was chaired by NHAK medical superintendent Dr Thorhusie Katiry and vote of thanks proposed by Kohima district’s chief medical officer Dr Ritu Thur. It was attended by NHAK doctors, nurses and others.