Tobacco consumption: Need to bring stringent laws

Tobacco consumption in Jammu and Kashmir has increased significantly as the Union Territory has been identified as having the 6th highest prevalence of tobacco use in the country, with over 20 per cent of the population engaging in tobacco consumption. The prevalence of tobacco is increasing with each passing day as the people; especially youngsters, are getting indulged in consuming the tobacco in Jammu & Kashmir. According to the National Family Health Survey (NHFS-5), approximately 32 percent of men and one percent of women in Jammu and Kashmir consume tobacco, with cigarettes being the predominant product. Only 1 percent of women aged 15-49 use some form of tobacco. Among men, the most commonly used tobacco products are cigarettes (27%), bidis (4%), hookah, and cigars or pipes (2% each). The use of any form of tobacco is slightly higher in rural areas (1.4% for women and 35% for men) than in urban areas (0.7% for women and 24% for men). Over one-third (35%) of men who smoke cigarettes reported smoking 5 to 9 cigarettes in the past 24 hours. Easy availability of tobacco in the markets is one among the major causes of rise in the consumption of tobacco in Jammu and Kashmir, but one fails to understand why the people at the helm of affairs are taking any concrete steps to ensure that the tobacco products are not easily available in the markets. There is a need to come up with stringent laws that will help put an end to the easy availability of tobacco products, which would also help in reducing the number of people getting indulged in the consumption of tobacco. Such laws must be enforced and implemented at an earliest so that the precious lives can be saved.