2-month drive begins to warn youth against tobacco use

Varanasi: A campaign aimed at cautioning youth of the city against the ills of using tobacco was launched under the National Tobacco Control Programme, here on Tuesday. The Cantonment MLA, Saurabh Srivastava, launched the campaign from SVM Govt Hospital in Bhelupur area and flagged off an vehicle to promote awareness on need to prevent tobacco use.
This campaign will run in the district for the next two months.The MLA conveyed the message of building a tobacco-free society and urged more people to participate and make the campaign 100% successful.
Chief medical officer Dr Sandeep Chaudhary said various activities would be organised to raise awareness during the two-month-long ‘Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign.' Campuses will be made tobacco-free campuses, under the ‘Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions' initiative. The COTPA Act will be enforced to address violation of tobacco product regulations. Various activities will be organised at the rural level to promote tobacco-free villages. Social media will also be used for promotion. Awareness vehicles will disseminate information in urban and rural areas.
Chaudhary said according to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2019, approximately 23% youth (13 to 15 years of age) in UP consumed tobacco products in various forms, smokeless and smoking. Additionally, the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016-17 indicated that around 35.5% of adults in UP used tobacco products in various forms, which was a matter of concern, he said.
Nodal officer Dr Y B Pathak emphasised need for collective efforts to prevent tobacco use and raise awareness among youth. Superintendent Dr Kshitij Tiwari, district counsellor from Tobacco Control cell Dr Saurabh Pratap Singh, Ajay Srivastava, Sangeeta Singh and others were also present on the occasion.