The Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 2.0 was officially launched in Assam's Cachar district recently by the District Commissioner Mridul Yadav, IAS, in collaboration with key district officials and community representatives. The campaign aims to motivate young people to resist or quit tobacco use and is set to run for 60 days.
This campaign, under the initiative of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India seeks to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use, particularly among the youth with active participation & contributions from the states & Union territories.
The launch event saw the participation of Assistant Commissioner Anjali Kumari, who is also in charge of the District Social Welfare Office (DSWO), Inspector of Schools Ganesh Harijan, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Subrata Sen, Branch Officer (Health) Junali Devi, District Nodal Officer Dr. Ratna Chakraborty, and District Health Manager from Silchar Cancer Centre (ACCF). Representatives from Nehru Yuva Kendra, Lions Club of Silchar Valley View, Premier, and Rotary Club of Silchar Central were also present.
The Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 2.0 aims to achieve significant milestones, including the execution of at least 30 Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns, the declaration of 160 educational institutions as Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI), 16 enforcement drives, and the declaration of at least 20 villages as tobacco-free in every district. Social media will also play a crucial role in amplifying the campaign's message, with hashtags like #SaveTheYouthCampaign and #AbSeBandCampaign encouraging online engagement.
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year, including around 1.2 million deaths from exposure to second-hand smoke. All forms of tobacco are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide. Other tobacco products include waterpipe tobacco, various smokeless tobacco products, cigars, cigarillos, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, bidis and kreteks.
Over 80% of the 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest. Tobacco use contributes to poverty by diverting household spending from basic needs such as food and shelter to tobacco. The “Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 2.0” is the perfect opportunity for all conscious citizens of the country to come together and safeguard the young generation from addiction of all kinds.