World No Tobacco Day observed in Cachar

 From Our Correspondent

 Silchar, May 31: The district administration and district health services along with various NGOs of Cachar today came together to create a mass awareness on the effects caused by the consumption of tobacco products. As part of the “World No Tobacco Day”, the participants took part in a mass rally organized by the district administration along with Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre and joined in the ‘Say no to tobacco’ campaign in a bid to send a strong sigl against the harmful affects of tobacco consumption. The rally which began in the District Sports Association (DSA) ground, Silchar moved through the main thoroughfares of the town and concluded in the Satindra Mohan Dev Civil Hospital of the town.

 World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is intended to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the globe. The day is further intended to draw attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects, which currently lead to nearly 6 million deaths each year worldwide, including 600,000 of which is due to the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day in 1987.

 As per available statistics, India is the second ranked country in world in terms of tobacco consumption and the North East tops the list in India with Mizoram ranking first followed by Meghalaya as second in terms of tobacco consumption. As per survey done by the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, Assam has about 39 percent of tobacco users, which includes the consumers of cigarettes, bidis and raw tobacco. The survey catered to people from age 15 and above. The finding further says that around 2,500 people die each day from tobacco related diseases in the country, while around 5,000 youngsters in the country start consuming tobacco each day.