Guwahati, May 31: The Kamrup (metro) district administration today listed the steps taken to bring down tobacco consumption, which contributes to 40 per cent of cases of cancer in Assam, on World No Tobacco Day today.

The district administration said it has checked the supply of smokeless tobacco, cigarettes and bidis along with several awareness programmes by involving different sections of society.

"We need to check the source at the wholesale level to regulate the amount of tobacco consumed by people in the city. Next, we need to regulate its distribution at the retail level," deputy commissioner M. Angamuthu today said.

"The district administration will start more awareness and capacity-building exercises among the people and sellers to make them aware of the threats it possesses. More focus will be given to the vulnerable sections, that is, students at the high and higher secondary school, college and university level, when they are more likely to take on the habit of smoking or consuming smokeless tobacco. The steps will be taken by involving NGOs, media, religious institutions and other stakeholders to ensure better participation," Angamuthu said.

Ten schools in the district were declared tobacco-free institutions last year. "For this year, a minimum of 100 schools will be targeted," Angamuthu said.

According to a report published by the National Cancer Registry Programme, under the Indian Council of Medical Research last year, Kamrup (metro) district recorded 206 cases of cancer per 1 lakh people, which is the fourth highest in the country. The national rate is 9 to 95 per 100 people. The district also registered the highest cases of gall bladder cancer and the third highest number of cases of oesopha-geal cancer among women.

A programme to commemorate the day was organised at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra and attended by B. Barooah Cancer Institute director Amal Chandra Kataki, Angamuthu and several other dignitaries.

"Of the 3.12 crore population of the state, almost 85 lakh people consume tobacco of whom, about 35 lakh have premature death. It is a menace we all should get rid of by not consuming tobacco and encourage others not to cultivate the habit," Kataki said.

Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Guwahati, in association with NGO Deepsikha Foundation, an organisation working for the care of cancer patients, today held a series of street plays in several parts of the city to raise anti-tobacco awareness.