Health authorities launch 60-day awareness campaign against use of tobacco among youth

The ‘Tobacco-free Youth Campaign 3.0’, a programme aimed astatine raising consciousness astir the dangers of baccy usage among those nether the property of 20, was inaugurated by the State authorities and the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPHPM) connected Thursday.

According to an authoritative DPHPM property merchandise successful Tiruchi, the 60-day run was launched by District Collector V. Saravanan connected Thursday and is scheduled to extremity connected December 8.

Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programmes to explicate the ill-effects of baccy volition beryllium held successful the 307 colony Health Sub-Centres (HSCs), 64 superior wellness centres and 14 blocks implicit the run period.

The programme would see 2 play raids connected shops selling banned tobacco-based goods, said the release. Fines would beryllium imposed connected those contravening the regulations of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA-2003).

As an added incentive, peculiar designation would beryllium fixed to villages and acquisition institutions that make a tobacco-free environment. At present, 1,776 acquisition institutions successful Tiruchi territory had been certified arsenic tobacco-free by the authorities. Of these, the certificates of 78 institutions would beryllium owed for renewal successful November, said the release.