A massive number of 30,000 people die of cancer every year in Odisha, mostly due to consumption of tobacco, an official survey report said.
According to the report, nearly half of the five lakh people suffering from cancer in the State have developed the disease due to tobacco chewing and 17 per cent of them are found to be alcohol and other toxicant addicts.
Almost 20 per cent cancer patients die due to consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other toxic products, the report said.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, half of the world’s cancer victims belong to India.
As per a Government survey, 27 lakh to 30 lakh fresh cancer cases are reported every year of which 50,000 are from Odisha.
A whopping 82 lakh people die of cancer worldwide every year despite massive awareness programmes created by countries.
International organisations such as UNICEF and WHO have been expressing concern over growing rate of casualties due to cancer but the initiatives to prevent spread of the disease appear to been futile.
At least 18 states, including Odisha, have banned sale of tobacco products. Though Odisha imposed the ban in 2013, het political patronage has allegedly encouraged sale of tobacco products.
According to the Global Adult Survey Report, around 43 per cent people over the age of 15 consume tobacco products in Odisha and 35 per cent of them are women.
The number is higher in State as compared to other States such as Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.
The percentage is higher in Malkangiri district where more than 58 per cent people use tobacco. Similarly, over 40 per cent people in Balangir, Baleswar, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Sambalpur consume tobacco, revealed the report.