Orissa among top in tobacco consumption

New Indian Express, Bhubaneswar,30th May 2009:

Despite anti-tobacco campaigns gaining momentum through high profile Government initiatives and other social awareness campaigns, tobacco consumption in the country continues to be very high. And, Orissa features among the top in the ladder of tobacco consumption.Almost half of the State’s population is addicted to tobacco in one form or the other in contrast to one-third nationally.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) study on tobacco use during pregnancy as well as exposure of pregnant women and their young children to second-hand smoke has also pressed the alarm bells. It reveals that one-third of all pregnant women in Orissa consume smokeless tobacco and most are often exposed to secondhand smoke. Smokeless tobacco use can lead to oral and pancreatic cancers and incidentally these are on rapid rise in the State.Besides, Orissa has gained the dubious distinction of being second in tobacco consumption among women after Mizoram. The percentage of girls (15 years and above) chewing some form of tobacco is at a high of 50 percent plus the increase in the percentage of women smokers from mere 0.9 per cent to 6 per cent within five to six years, as per the latest NFHS-3 survey, portrays the ominous future.

The Union Health Ministry’s monograph has categorised Orissa in the intermediary low bracket (prevalence range between 1.1 - 2.9 percent) with regard to bidi consuming population but the danger lies in the high usage of Gudakhu made up of tobacco and molasses in Orissa. Chewing tobacco in the form of betel, gutkha, khani and snuff is also at a very high incidence level. In addition to the above facts, the pointers like three-fourth of illiterates use tobacco along with 40 percent in the highest and lowest quintile and more women in the ST population sum up the enormity of the situation.

The facts seem out of place when the Union Government is spending Rs 2.5 cr on tobacco control per year as per WHO’s Global Tobacco Epidemic Report-2008 released recently. The inference is much more endeavour is required from the State agencies to launch a massive anti-tobacco programme in the rural areas to make the State ‘tobacco free’. The World No Tobacco Day to be observed on Sunday could be a start.