Our correspondent
Itanagar: West Siang deputy commissioner Mamu Hage on Tuesday launched the National Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 2.0 at Aalo, the headquarters of West Siang district. The 60-day event under the National Health Mission (NHM) is being organized by the West Siang district health society and will continue till November 23.
Addressing the participants, Hage said the campaign has been launched to make our society tobacco-free. The National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) was launched in the year 2007-2008 with an objective to create awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption.
The youth and students must be aware of the harmful effects of tobacco on human bodies, she said, and she appealed to citizens to take part in the tobacco-free awareness program.
“Arunachal Pradesh’s average is higher than the national average in terms of tobacco consumption,” she said, and she urged the health department to give more emphasis on awareness campaigns. The DC directed the shopkeepers in the district to not sell ghutkas, tobacco, and other byproducts without obtaining a valid license.
She also directed them to immediately stop the illegal selling of cigarettes, beedis, ghutkas, etc.
Hage further asked the ICDS and Education department to conduct awareness campaigns on tobacco and its harmful effects. NCD district program officer Dr. Tsering Wangmu highlighted the aims and objectives of the campaign to the participants.
She said tobacco and tobacco byproducts are main attractions to youths, and they must know about the harmful effects of tobacco and its byproducts. West Siang DMO in-charge Dr. Tomar Kamki, BEO Kento Ngomdir also discouraged the use of tobacco.
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