Imphal: Manipur’s Health & Family Welfare and IPR Minister, Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh, launched the Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 2.0 on Tuesday in Imphal, aiming to address the alarming rise in mortality rates caused by tobacco use.
The state-level launch event was organized by the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), State Health Society, NHM Manipur, and the Directorate of Health Services, Manipur.
Speaking at the occasion, Health Minister Dr. Sapam Ranjan emphasised the growing concern of tobacco usage in the northeastern states. He highlighted that the current government has joined the nation-wide Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 2.0 to tackle this pressing issue.
He shared a grim statistic, noting that around 80 lakh tobacco users die globally each year, with 13.5 lakh of those deaths occurring in India alone. To counter such a dangerous trend, he informed that the government has initiated this campaign to reduce the mortality rate linked to tobacco use.
Dr. Sapam Ranjan acknowledged the challenges faced by individuals addicted to tobacco, stressing the importance of expert guidance and familial support in overcoming addiction.
He pointed out that it is difficult for those addicted to tobacco to quit easily and that there is a need for awareness from experts to help them break free from this habit. Family members, he added, play a crucial role in supporting them.
The minister urged all youth and citizens of the state to participate and cooperate in this two-month-long campaign to help make Manipur tobacco-free.
During the event, several important resources were launched, including a guidebook on “Health Workers Guide,” SOPs for Tobacco-Free Villages, and Law Enforcers’ Guidelines under COTPA 2023 and PECA 2019. A collective pledge to support the campaign was made by all officials and attendees.
Also present at the event were Dr. O Sanahanbi Devi, Director of Health Services, and Dr. M. Dinesh Singh, State Mission Director, NHM Manipur, among many other officials.
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