Nagaland's Third Wave: Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign Ignites Change

The Nagaland government has initiated the third phase of the Tobacco Free Youth Campaign, aiming to tackle the high tobacco usage rate among the state's youth. This campaign, a part of the National Tobacco Control Programme, was launched at Baptist College by the state's Department of Health and Family Welfare.

The movement, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare since 2023, is designed to empower young individuals to resist or quit tobacco, promoting a tobacco-free generation. Anoop Khinchi, Commissioner and Secretary, underscored the campaign's strategic importance given the state's high tobacco usage.

With a focus on community involvement, the campaign emphasizes declaring schools and villages tobacco-free, enforcing laws, and building stakeholder capacity. Principal Director Dr. Mereninla Senlem lauded the progress of earlier phases, with multiple institutions and communities achieving tobacco-free status.

(With inputs from agencies.)