HT Correspondent
Dimapur, May 31: Dr Reyosalu Lase Vizo, state nodal officer, National Oral Health Programme, on Saturday said about 35% of children in the age group of 13 to 15 in Nagaland use tobacco in some form — either smoked or smokeless.
“This is a deeply concerning statistic,” she said while speaking at a programme on World No Tobacco Day in Government Higher Secondary School, Seikhazou.
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Vizo said although Nagaland does not cultivate tobacco commercially, the state is facing a public health crisis due to its consumption.
She warned that the tobacco companies are increasingly targeting children and adolescents with candy-flavoured, colourfully packaged products that mask their harmful contents.
“These products are often marketed as modern, safe, or even nicotine-free, which is an alarming trend of deceptive advertising,” she noted and stressed the urgency of countering these tactics with education, vigilance, and policy enforcement.
She also raised concerns about the environmental and public health risks of spitting in public spaces, which can spread airborne diseases, including COVID-19, tuberculosis, and other viral infections. She reminded that spitting is now punishable by fines of up to Rs 5,000 under the public health regulations.
Vizo called for collective action at the school level to fight the menace, emphasising that all educational institutions in Nagaland have been declared tobacco-free zones.
Sh said the teachers have been designated as enforcement officers who can monitor vendors around schools and take action under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003.
“Say no to tobacco. Say yes to health and life,” she urged students, teachers, and all participants.
The event was organised by the District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC), Kohima, under the global theme “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products.” The programme aimed to highlight the deceptive strategies used by the tobacco and nicotine industry, particularly targeting youth, and to promote a healthier, tobacco-free generation.
