Dimapur, August 4 : The “school awareness programme” of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) has started in Peren district. The campaign was launched at Peren Government College on August 3.
A number of senior medical officers, and staffers and students of the college, and staffers from the establishment of Peren’s Chief Medical Office attended the program.
During the formal ceremony, deputy chief medical officer Dr. M. Tiala Longkumer, welcomed the gathering present and expressed appreciation to the participants for their concern. She gave the introductory note about the NTCP stating that the main objective of the agency was to create ‘greater awareness’ about tobacco, and to control tobacco consumption.
Also, she highlighted about how the program was to be implemented in the district. 50 schools in Peren district will be covered during the campaign against tobacco, Dr. Longkumer said.
Addressing the gathering Albert, the school’s vice principal, said that the event was not only a great opportunity for the college but ‘a great benefit for creating such awareness which has become a very important matter in this day to day.’
‘We all will start to think twice after the launching of the program,’ he said.
Dr. Hutokhu Chish, the state nodal officer (NTCP) gave the keynote address with a power point presentation. He highlighted the tobacco-related health problems and their background. He said that tobacco was the only legal food product available in the market that kills 50% of its users.
‘There are 1 billion smokers in the world: 20% of women comprise world smokers. Globally tobacco kills 5.4 million people every year. 90% of oral cancers are due to tobacco use. India is the third largest producer in the world, the Second largest consumer in the world and 1 million of Indians die every year due to tobacco,’ he said.
India has the largest number of oral cancer in the world. 40% of all cancers in India are due to tobacco, 2200 Indians die every day due to tobacco use. In 2010, nearly 1 million Indians died due to smoking. He also highlighted about the Tobacco scenario in Nagaland stating that Tobacco consumption in Nagaland is 57%.
Further, Dr. Hutokhu Chishi spoke about the burdens of tobacco on the health of a person and on the economy and environment of communities. He highlighted about the risks from smoking and what it causes.
Further, the health official spoke about the role of youths in imbibing tobacco-free lifestyles, to be a role model for the family and to become anti-tobacco activists. They also have a role to initiating ‘tobacco-free meeting’ and conferences and to participate in tobacco-control implementation events and to update the community on their knowledge of tobacco control laws, the speaker said.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Peren Tainiu was the chief guest of the event. The chief guest officially launched the NTCP program by releasing a leaflet. The leaflets carried facts about tobacco. She gave a short speech urging all the participants to communicate about the ill effects of tobacco with one another and to be messengers.
“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle,” she said in her encouragement to the gathering to ‘do something good.’ Only one organization or an institution or a department cannot bring changes ‘but together we can,’ she said. The official urged the gathering to ‘fight together for a tobacco-free generation.’
Dr. Hutokhu Chishi presenting a PowerPoint Presentation during the launch of the “school awareness programme” of the National Tobacco Control programme at Peren Government College in Peren district on August 3.
