Aizawl: Mizoram has the highest tobacco use prevalence among schoolchildren aged 13 to 15 in India, with 58% reported to be using tobacco, according to survey data cited by the state govt.The state also ranks second nationally in tobacco use among people aged 15 and above, with a prevalence of 58.7%.Health minister Lalrinpuii said the figures were particularly concerning as Mizoram also has the highest cancer incidence in the country in proportion to its population.Addressing the 13th State Anti-Tobacco Day programme at the directorate of health and medical education auditorium on Friday, she called for a collective effort to make every family in the state free from tobacco and tobacco products.“Tobacco use and consumption are among the causes of cancer. Every family in Mizoram should strive to become a tobacco-free family,” the minister said.Lalrinpuii added that the state had been conducting anti-tobacco campaigns for several years but stronger and renewed efforts were needed to tackle tobacco consumption.The govt was also planning fresh initiatives using revenue collected through tobacco cess, she said.The data cited at the programme came from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016-17 and the Global Youth Tobacco Survey-4 (GYTS-4).According to GATS 2016-17, 58.7% of people aged 15 and above in Mizoram used tobacco, the second-highest prevalence among Indian states. The GYTS-4 recorded tobacco use among 58% of students aged 13 to 15 in Mizoram, the highest in the country.A fresh round of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey is under way, while another Global Youth Tobacco Survey is being planned.Mizoram has observed State Anti-Tobacco Day on Sept 11 every year since 2013. It was the first state in India to introduce a dedicated anti-tobacco day.Two schools were also recognised at Friday’s programme for their performance in the national ToFEI — School Challenge: Towards a Tobacco Free Generation, 2025.PM Shri Government Kawrthah Primary School-1 won the first prize in the Foundation Category, while Government Leitlangpui Higher Secondary School received a consolation prize.The programme was jointly organised by the National Tobacco Control Programme under the National Health Mission and the Indian Society on Tobacco and Health, Mizoram. Similar programmes were held across the state through District Tobacco Control Cells.
