Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 01:
Detailing origin of 'World No Tobacco Day' observed throughout the globe yesterday and health effects of tobacco usage the proscribed RPF expressed gratitude to organisations striving to spread awareness on curtailing tobacco use in the State.
Mentioning of member States of World Health Organisation converging in 1987 to deliberate on human toil claimed by tobacco, adopting resolution on April 7, 1988 to observe 'A No Smoking Day' and finally culminating in 1998 on observation of May 31 as 'World No Tobacco Day' the underground outfit pledged its support and relentless effort to establish a tobacco free society.
Reminding of the WHO reporting over 13,500 deads every single day and exposing non-smokers, especially the children to the tobacco menace, a statement issued by the RPF's communication and publicity assistant secretary Lily Leima highlighted diseases caused due to tobacco use, including impotency.
In the State context, the RPF detailed contents of Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2001 at the school level of 31.6 percent of male students and 9.8 percent of the females having smoking habit; 46.7 percent of the total students surveyed as lured to tobacco products; and 38.4 percent susceptible to fall prey to the unhealthy practice.
Citing the survey report of majority of these students having glued to tobacco habit due to misconception of being fashionable and attractive the underground organisation called for concerted effort from all concerned to check the trend before the matter goes out of hand.
The survey report also indicate that compared to smoking, use of zarda pan, khaini and chewing other tobacco products is gaining far more alarming rate to which the Government is turning a blind eye rather than devise a mechanism to save its people from plunging into perilous situation, conveyed the statement.