Mizoram minister calls for tobacco-free households as state battles high cancer burden
Mizoram Health Minister Lalrinpuii urged families to keep their homes tobacco-free at the State Anti-Tobacco Day programme in Aizawl. The appeal comes as the state records the country's highest cancer incidence and high tobacco use across age groups.
- Sep 11, 2026,
- Updated Sep 11, 2026, 6:20 PM IST
- Mizoram has marked State Anti-Tobacco Day every 11 September since 2013
- The government plans fresh anti-tobacco initiatives using funds raised through cess
- A 2016-17 survey found 58.7 per cent adults in Mizoram used tobacco
Mizoram Health Minister Lalrinpuii has urged families across the state to make their homes tobacco-free, stressing that collective efforts are needed to curb tobacco-related diseases, including cancer.
Speaking at the 13th State Anti-Tobacco Day programme in Aizawl, Lalrinpuii said Mizoram continues to have the highest cancer incidence rate in the country.
“Since smoking and consumption of tobacco are major causes of cancer, every family in Mizoram must take steps towards maintaining tobacco-free households,” she said.
The minister said Mizoram had taken several measures to reduce tobacco consumption but stressed the need to step up the campaign. She added that the state government was also planning to use funds collected through cess for new initiatives to strengthen anti-tobacco efforts.
Mizoram has observed State Anti-Tobacco Day on September 11 since 2013, becoming the first state in the country to mark the occasion.
Tobacco use remains a major concern in the state. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016-17 found that 58.7 per cent of people aged 15 and above in Mizoram consumed tobacco, placing the state second in the country after Tripura.
The Global Youth Tobacco Survey-4 also recorded the highest prevalence of tobacco use among school students aged 13-15 in Mizoram, at around 58 per cent.
Officials said a fresh round of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey is currently underway.
