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L Jayentakumar launching the ‘Yellow line’ campaign on the World No Tobacco Day in Imphal on Friday. (EM Images)[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Imphal, May 31 (EMN): Along with the rest of the country, Manipur on Friday observed World No Tobacco Day, under the theme “Tobacco and lung health.”
To mark the occasion, Health and Family Welfare Minister L Jayentakumar and Director (Health Services) K Rajo led officials of the department painted a yellow line 100 yards away from CC Higher Secondary School’s boundary wall, indicating tobacco free zone.
Yellow line campaign aimed at making people aware about the adverse effects of tobacco consumption and to prevent young generation from getting addicted to it.
Prior to the campaign launching, Jayentakumar addressing the programme at CC Higher Secondary School appealed the students to learn good habits for better future.
According to State Nodal Officer Somorjit Ningombam of National Tobacco Control Programme, the exposure of school children to second-hand smoke remains high in Manipur comparing to other parts of country.
“This is a serious concern,” the state nodal officer said adding that tobacco is one of the common risk factors of major life-threatening diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases which kills 6 million people every year while 0.6 million face premature death due to passive smoking.
He disclosed that 55% of adults (against the 28% in the national level) in Manipur used different forms of tobacco.
Officers from Health department also delivered speeches on the occasion.
In India, tobacco kills about 9 lakh people every year. 2,500 Indians die every day of tobacco related diseases.