New Delhi: In continuing efforts to raise awareness and protect the youth from the harmful effects of tobacco, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, launched the second edition of the Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 2.0. He also virtually inaugurated Tobacco Cessation Centres (TCC) in medical institutions across India.
Speaking at the launch event at Lady Hardinge Medical College, Prataprao Jadhav said, “Every year, around 13 lakh people lose their lives due to tobacco in India, and tobacco has become a fashion statement among the youth, but it can lead to dangerous diseases like cancer.”
“The 60-day campaign will focus on increasing public awareness about the dangers of tobacco, particularly among youth and rural communities; improving compliance with the revised guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions; and strengthening the enforcement of tobacco control laws, especially COTPA 2003 and the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) 2019, to limit youth access to tobacco,” stated the official release.
“It will also focus on promoting tobacco-free villages, where communities work together to eliminate tobacco and create healthier environments, as well as boosting social media outreach, using digital platforms to deliver strong messages about the harms of tobacco and the benefits of quitting to young people,” the release added.
At the event, the ministry also launched the Health Workers Guide, SOPs for tobacco-free villages, and the guidelines for law enforcers for effective implementation of tobacco control laws 2024.
Additionally, an educational video by WHO, aimed at sensitising young students to the detrimental effects of tobacco use, was also launched and will be released in all schools.
