On the occasion of ‘World No Tobacco Day’, Union Health Ministry will launch 60-day pan India campaign on the theme ‘tobacco-free youth’ on Wednesday. The campaign will focus on taking steps to prevent initiation of tobacco use among among youngsters and assisting users to quit.
As per the data, tobacco continue to be of grave concern due to its rising consumption among adolescents and adults in India. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), the use among young adolescents (13-15 years) in 2019 was 8.5 per cent and was 14.6 per cent in 2010. There was a decline of 42 per cent.
Other than ‘tobacco-free youth’ campaign, several initiatives like ‘tobacco-free educational institution’ are also a part off the campaign set for launch on ‘Anti-Tobacco Day’ on May 31.
All the states and union territories should conduct special drives for enforcement off the provisions of the Cigarattes and other Tobacco products, Joint Secretary of the Health Ministry V Hekali Zhimomi urged states and union territories in an official letter.
The official letter also noted provisions related to the prohibition on ban on smoking in public places, prohibition on sale within 100 yards of an educational institution and sale to and by persons aged less than 18 years (section 6) and ban on the sale of tobacco products without statutory pictorial warnings (section 7).
