13% of Assam consume tobbaco

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS2), nearly 50 percent of all adults in Assam are tobacco users, according to a survey.

Around 48.2 percent of all adults in Assam, of whom 62.9 percent are men and 32.9 percent women, either consume smoke tobacco or use smokeless tobacco. The survey found that 13.3 percent of all adults in Assam currently smoke tobacco and 41.7 per cent of the adults use smokeless tobacco.

Noting that 'khaini' (chewing tobacco with lime) and betel quid with tobacco are the most commonly used tobacco products, it said 23.1 percent of the adults use khaini and 19.0 percent use betel quid with tobacco.

The mean age at initiation of tobacco use has increased from 18.1 years in GATS1 to 18.5 years in GATS2.

According to the GATS2 survey, tobacco use is the leading single preventable cause of deaths worldwide. Each year an estimated seven million deaths are attributed to the use of tobacco. It said India is the third largest tobacco producing nation and second largest consumer of tobacco world-wide.