Tobacco usage still a concern in smoke-free Shimla

SHIMLA: Voluntary health awareness organisations and health department officials are concerned at the high usage of tobacco in one form or the other and the ailments caused by it in Shimla. Though declared a smoke free city in 2010, still the estimated consumption of tobacco products like cigarettes is around 35-40% in Shimla.
The Himachal Pradesh Voluntary Health Association (HPVHA) district programme officer, Shelly Himani, said they had been organising awareness drives under the smoke free project and were able to press the government to declare the capital city as smoke free."Through different programmes in collaboration with the government, we have been able to achieve nearly 60% enforcement in the city," she said.
Shelly said the compliance for anti-smoking norms is also reflected in the number of violators punished for smoking in public places. "In 2009, about 1,700 challans were issued to people for smoking in public places, and figure jumped by more than three times to over 6,000 in 2012, which also points to the continued violation of the law and consumption of tobacco," she said expressing her concern.
Usage of tobacco products is also in indicator of diseases caused due to its consumption in different forms. The doctors from the Indira Gandi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) said usage of tobacco products is the reason for more than 50% of cancer and respiratory diseases in Himachal Pradesh (HP).
Dr Dinesh D Sharma, psychiatry department, IGMCH, said, "We do not have the latest statistics available on the trend of tobacco usage amongst youth. But clinical observation of youngsters seeking treatment and counseling here suggests that frequency of drug abuse and tobacco intake is increasing amongst adolescents and school-going children in urban Shimla. Youngsters including girls are addicted to multi-drugs including sniffing, smoking and other substances."
In take of tobacco in chewable form has gone down, but incidence of smoking is still high, Shelly remarked.
Shelly added, "We along with the health department are making efforts throughout the state to bring in the change. However, use of tobacco still remains a concern as of the total malignancies reported from the state, nearly 33% men and 6-7% women suffer from lung cancer. About 12-13% of the patients also suffer from mouth and throat cancer caused due to consumption of tobacco."
Though intake of tobacco in chewable form is less in the state but tobacco consumption still remains high in other forms she added.