Dimapur, Sep. 10 (EMN): The additional deputy commissioner of Mon, Rahul Mali, stated that out of the total cancer cases nearly 45% male and 20% female are due to tobacco use.
Mali stated this during an awareness programme on ‘Tobacco control in times of Covid-19,’ organised by the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) held at Mon town council hall on September 8.
Highlighting the ill-effects of tobacco consumption, he appealed to all the ward presidents to create awareness among the people in their respective wards and save the youth and students, a DIPR report stated on Wednesday.
While the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 has been enforced by government of India since 2008, Mali stated that Nagaland enforced it only in 2012 by confining to only two districts namely Dimapur and Kohima. He attributed consumption of tobacco among the teenage students to lack of awareness.
The programme was chaired by E Nyeamying Konyak, NTCP district consultant, while Dr. I Simon Sumi, NTCP district nodal officer, spoke on “harmful effects of tobacco consumption.”
Altogether, seven ward presidents attended the programme.
