Mahavir Cancer Sansthan on Monday organised a programme where experts said around 60 lakh people died every year in the country because of tobacco-related disorders. Tobacco not only affected the lungs, they said, but also the heart, brain and other body parts. Education minister Ashok Choudhary was the chief guest of the programme held on the eve of World No Tobacco Day.

Choudhary spoke on the necessity of making Bihar free of tobacco. 

“The government's initiative to create awareness on this front would yield no result if the people do not become aware and sensitive towards the issue,” he said. 

Mahavir Cancer Sansthan associate director Manisha Singh said only cigarette smoke contained around 4,000 chemicals of which 250 were harmful and 50 were carcinogenic. 

"Those who consume tobacco have 90 per cent chances of developing oral cancer while 85 per cent people have a chance of getting lung cancer," she said.