Tobacco used by almost 54 percent Biharis

Patna, May 20 (PTI) As much as 54 per cent people of Bihar use tobacco products with a large number of them expiring every year, Bihar Health Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said today. “As much as 54 per cent of people in Bihar use tobacco products and a large number of them die every year,” Choubey said while addessing a workshop on tobacco. He said almost 2,200 people using tobacco products die almost every day in India. “An estimated 40 out of 100 patients are afflicted with cancer following tobacco use,” he added. Choubey said he would ask the medical officers to try to strictly ban use of ‘gutkha’, ‘bidi’ and other tobacco products outside the hospitals across the state. Calling for simplification of Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA) 2003, on cigarettes and other tobacco products, he advocated framing guidelines to see how the law could be brought into force. PTI AJK SUS