PATNA: “As much as 54% people of Bihar use tobacco, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India-2010. The most common form of tobacco used is smokeless, which is consumed by nearly 49% of adults in Bihar,” said Abhinav Bossi, outreach officer, HRIDAY, a Delhi-based NGO, during a district-level capacity building workshop on tobacco control here on Friday.
The workshop was organized under the aegis of District Health Society, Patna under the supervision of State Health Society Bihar, SEEDS Bihar, and with technical support from HRIDAY.
Bihar government is implementing the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) on pilot basis in the two districts of Patna and Munger. Besides,SEEDS Bihar and HRIDAY are also implementing a tobacco control project in five districts of Bihar. The workshop was part of the tobacco control programme.
Speaking at the workshop, Deepak Mishra, executive director, SEEDS Bihar, highlighted the need and importance of tobacco cessation facilities because more than one million people die due to tobacco-related diseases in India.
Dr. Mahavir Das, ex-director in chief, health services, government of Bihar, informed the participants about various cessation facilities available in Bihar and in the country.
Representatives of various government departments and NGOs were present at the workshop.