Recent data on tobacco use among women aged 15 years and above in India highlights significant variations across states. While the national average of tobacco use among women in this age group stands at 8.4%, the figures in several northeastern states are many times higher than the national average.
Mizoram records the highest tobacco use among women at 61%, followed by Tripura at 47.7% and Meghalaya at 34.6%. These figures indicate that tobacco consumption among women has become a serious public health challenge in several states of Northeast India.
On the other hand, Punjab and Chandigarh have the lowest rate of tobacco use among women, with just 0.5%, which is significantly below the national average.
Tobacco consumption is a major cause of cancer, heart disease, lung diseases, and several other serious health conditions. Therefore, states with higher tobacco use need stronger awareness campaigns, de-addiction programmes, and more effective public health policies.
To curb the rising trend of tobacco use among women, it is essential to strengthen social awareness, improve education, and ensure better access to healthcare services.
