Aizawl, Sep 11 (PTI) Mizoram Health Minister Lalrinpuii on Thursday urged families across the state to work towards maintaining tobacco-free households, saying collective action was essential to protect people from diseases such as cancer.
Addressing the 13th State Anti-Tobacco Day observance in Aizawl, Lalrinpuii said Mizoram continues to record the highest cancer incidence rate in the country.
“Since smoking and consumption of tobacco are major causes of cancer, every family in Mizoram must take steps towards maintaining tobacco-free households,” she said.
Lalrinpuii said the state had been making sustained efforts to curb smoking and tobacco use, but the measures needed to be intensified.
“The government is also working on plans to utilise funds
collected through cess for new initiatives aimed at strengthening the anti-tobacco campaign,” she said.
Mizoram began observing State Anti-Tobacco Day on September 11 in 2013. It was the first state in the country to observe the occasion.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016-17, Mizoram ranked second after Tripura in tobacco use among people aged 15 years and above, with 58.7 per cent reporting tobacco consumption.
The Global Youth Tobacco Survey-4 also found that Mizoram had the highest prevalence of tobacco use among school students aged 13-15 in the country, at around 58 per cent.
Officials said a fresh round of GATS is currently underway. PTI CORR SOM
