GUWAHATI: A Regional Satellite Center for Tobacco Quitline Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (H&FW), Government of India was formally inaugurated at Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati on the September 13.
Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, former chief minister of Assam inaugurated the Tobacco Quitline Services as the Chief Guest during the inaugural function.
The recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2 (GATS-2) of 2016-2017 has shown that compared to 2009-2010, tobacco consumption in the State of Assam has increased to 48.2% from 39.3%.
The prevalence of current tobacco smoking and smokeless form in the State of Assam is 13.3% and 41.7%, respectively and national average for the same is 10.7% and 21.4%, respectively.
The prevalence of tobacco consumption in Assam is much higher than the India’s average tobacco consumption. Also, as per the GATS-2 report, 92.4% of adults believed that smoking causes serious illness and 95.6% of adults believed that use of smokeless tobacco causes serious illness. So, the quitline services will offer an opportunity to the tobacco users who are willing to quit its addiction.
Dr Amal Chandra Kataki, Director of Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) stated that, there is an existing National Tobacco Quitline Services at Vallavbhai Patel Chest Institute, New Delhi under the Ministry of H&FW.
The Ministry recently took three more institutes from across the country for setting up of Regional Satellite Center of Tobacco Quitline Service.
The three regional centers will be Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Dr BBCI, Guwahati, and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences at Bangalore.
