Following the direction of the union government, Tripura and Meghalaya will ban the sale, manufacture and distribution of gutka (tobacco–laced areca nut pieces) and pan masala (a chewing mixture),

ORAL cancer is the sixth most common cancer reported globally with roughly two thirds of these reported in developing countries, according to a report.

Jaipur:In a step to discourage the sale and consumption of tobacco products, the medical health and family welfare department has directed district collectors to launch a campaign to remove all the advertisement boards which violate the rules pertaining to point of sale of tobacco products.

The Union ministry of health underlined four rules for advertisement boards for tobacco products. The first is that the size of the advertisement board should not exceed 60 centimetres by 40 centimetres.

Assam is all set to table a bill to ban manufacturing, sale and storage of all kinds of smokeless tobacco products in the state.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the bill would be tabled in the assembly in the ongoing budget session. He said the bill was awaiting clearance from the cabinet, after which it will be tabled in the assembly. "Assam will be first state to bring such a historic legislation," said Sarma.

GUWAHATI: The Assam Government has decided to ban the sale of gutka and smokeless tobacco in the State. The government is planning to introduce a Bill in the Assembly soon in this regard.

Disease Affecting More Women Than Men, Reveals ICMR Study

Lucknow: Oncologists in the country see Uttar Pradesh as the emerging cancer capital of India. Findings of the Population Based Cancer Registry functioning under the National Cancer Registry Programme of Indian Council of Medical Research, suggest that UP accounts for more than 16% of cancer patients in India. Figures show that more than 10.55 lakh cancer cases were reported in the country in 2011. Of the total, 1.71 lakh patients hail from UP.

SHILLONG: People’s lifestyle has always been a factor in one’s health and this is true in Shillong too. With the rise in what doctors consider unhealthy life style the death rates too are rising.

In the last 5–6 years Meghalaya has seen a huge rise in Cancer rates in the state with 1038 cancer cases being registered in Civil Hospital Shillong alone. Addressing this issue, a Specialist from the Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Judita Syiemlieh informed that in recent years especially in 2009 and 2012 there was a huge rise in the numbers of cancer cases being reported only in Civil hospital Shillong. She added that the number would be many fold if we take into account the cases that go to other states of the country for treatment.

Centre, doctors have recommended ban on the cancer-causing product

While 14 states in the country have banned manufacture and sale of gutka in accordance with the Centre’s directions, Karnataka is dragging its feet on the issue. The government is yet to take a decision in this regard, despite doctors’ associations and Petitions Committee of the State Legislature recommending immediate ban on gutka.

‘40% Of Smokers Want To Quit The Habit’

Jaipur: Alarmed over several deaths reported in the state due to cancer caused by tobacco consumption, the medical, health and family welfare department has launched a massive anti-tobacco awareness campaign in rural Rajasthan, which is one of the biggest campaign in the country covering over 9,000 gram panchayats. It is an apparent move of the health department to capitalize on the state’s machinery for the noble cause by clubbing the anti-tobacco campaign with the state government’s “Prashasan gaon ke sang” campaign, which was launched on Thursday.

Joining the league of tobacco-free states, the Odisha government on Tuesday imposed a ban on the manufacture, sale and consumption of guthka in the state.

“Rising up to its concern for healthy living of common people, the state government has decided to ban tobacco containing gutkha according to section 234 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011,” Health and Family Welfare minister Damodar Rout said. He said, the Supreme Court and different high courts had earlier directed the states to slap such a ban as the nicotine-contained chewing masalas cause diseases like cancer.