Churches urged to take steps to fight tobacco consumption

Churches in Mizoram are being encouraged to initiate steps and step up efforts to minimise the use of tobacco in the state.

The Mizoram State Tobacco Control Society (MSTCS) gave the call at a conference of church leaders of different denominations in Aizawl.

The conference was aimed at stimulating fresh thinking on how churches can take preventive measures on fighting tobacco addiction in their respective churches.

The participating churches included the Presbyterian Church, Baptist Church of Mizoram, Salvation Army, Roman Catholic, UPC (NEI), UPC (Mizoram), Seventh Day Adventist, Methodist, Lairam Isua Krista Baptist Kohhran, Evangelical Church of Maraland, Zomi Baptist Church, Evangelical Free Church of India (EFCI), among others.

Dr Jane R Ralte, state nodal officer-cum-project officer, Mizoram State Tobacco Control Society, stressed on the need for imposing restrictions in the fight against tobacco and urged church leaders to take steps to motivate youths against tobacco consumption.

According to a study by social group Mizoram Population Base Cancer Registry, cancer claims lives of 550-600 people on an average annually in Mizoram, whose total population is a little over one million.

As per the state government records, Mizoram had topped the country eight years ago in tobacco consumption.

Rev PL Biakchhawna, Director, Health & Communication, Seventh Day Adventist in his speech said Christianity and tobacco is contradicting, and pointed that consumption of tobacco is as bad as taking drugs.

Rev Biakchhawna informed that the World Health Organisation had categorised tobacco as one of kind drugs.

"As church and its premises is also a public gathering place, smoking here is violation of law and is liable to be fined. Therefore, denominations are urged not to encourage tobacco consumption at church premises, and even not to elect such persons who do not abstain from tobacco and related products," the Mizo News quoted Rev Biakchhawna saying.

The survey, conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, has revealed that currently tobacco users in Mizoram constituted 44.1 per cent adults â€" 56.9 per cent male and 30.8 per cent female.