Nagaland Ranks Second Among Tobacco Users in India

Nagaland is the second largest consumer of tobacco products in India with 57% of the population into the habit, says the latest data released by Kohima District Tobacco Control Cell (KDTCC). Total population of the state stands at 20 lakhs. The statistics becomes serious as 37% of students are into smoking habits while 41% school children are smokeless tobacco users.

Asenla Jamir, psychologist at KDTCC, said there are one billion smokers in the world of which 20% comprises women smokers. India is the second largest consumer of tobacco products in the world, she said adding that one million people in the country die every year due to tobacco. Jamir said that 2200 Indians die every day due to tobacco use. India has the largest number of oral cancer in the world while 40% of all cancers in India are due to tobacco.

She said use of tobacco can cause short and long term effects. Short term effects are: increased heart rate and blood pressure, smelly hair, bad breath, stained teeth, damage to gum tissue, tooth decay, reduced sense of smell and taste, trouble breathing, increased sensitivity to cold and heat.

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Long-term effects are:

· Cancers (oral, lung, stomach, esophagus, bladder, liver, breast, head and neck, kidney)

· Ulcers in the mouth

Smoking among Women

Tobacco use in women is on the rise. The health risks of tobacco are far too many has never done a woman any good psychologically or health-wise.

·        Chronic cough, asthma

·        Hypertension

·        Heart disease,

·        Eye cataract

·        Impotence in men and difficulty in bearing children among women).

Tobacco Scenario in the State

·        Consumption: 57%

·        Male: 68%

·        Female: 28%

·        School children smoking: 37%

·        Male school children smoking: 55%

·        Female school children smoking: 18%

·        School children tobacco users (Smokeless): 41%

·        Male school children smokeless form users: 50%

·        Female school children smokeless form users: 33%

Source: Medindia