Tobacco use increased in Assam, Tripura and Manipur against an overall decline in the country between 2009-2017, according to the regional report of the second round of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016-17 of the northeastern states.
Assam and Tripura also recorded the most significant increase in chewing of smokeless tobacco when it declined from 25.9 per cent to 21.4 per cent in the country, according to the report. Tobacco use decreased significantly in Sikkim and rose moderately in Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
When all the states showed a significant decline to second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure at the workplace, it increased in Assam by 3 per cent, said the report.
The report highlighted that overall tobacco use prevalence in India declined from 34.6 per cent to 28.6 per cent between 2009-10 and 2016-17—except for Assam and Tripura, where it increased considerably, and Manipur, where it rose marginally.
In Assam, tobacco use increased from 39.3 per cent to 48.2 per cent; in Tripura, from 55.9 per cent to 64.5 per cent and in Manipur, from 54.1 to 55.1 per cent. All the other states showed a decline, with Sikkim registering a remarkable fall from 41.6 to 17.9 per cent.
Smoking prevalence in the country decreased from 14 to 10.7 per cent, except for Tripura with a 0.4 per cent increase. All other NE states showed a decrease, with the most significant decline in Nagaland from 31.5 to 13.2 per cent and in Sikkim from 26.4 to 10.9 per cent, the report revealed.
Exposure to SHS at public places decreased across the region with a sharp decline in Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland, though the figures were slightly above the national average.
The initiation age declined, which means more people began using tobacco at an earlier age, in three states —Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim—from 17.5 in 2009-2010 to 15.9 in 2016-17.
The initiation age increased in the other five NE states, with the most significant being Manipur from 19.1 years to 20.8 years.
The report pointed out that while smoking product promotion declined nationally and in the region, in Mizoram, both beedi and cigarette promotion increased and beedi promotion increased in Nagaland.
Pack warnings elicited an increased response to quit among cigarette and beedi smokers and chewers nationally and in the region.
GATS is a global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and tracking key tobacco control indicators, according to the report.
The study is based on a household survey of persons 15 years of age and older conducted in all states and union territories of the country.
"Findings from GATS have added substantially to the knowledge about tobacco use in the northeastern states and will be a valuable source of information for strengthening tobacco control policies and prevention programmes in Assam and our region," said Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the report release programme.
