World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed on 31st May every year across the globe. Last year 2023, a very effective campaign was conducted by around 8000+ schools which created awareness by doing rallies and signature campaigns. This year in 2024, schools & colleges will run the WNTD’24 campaign during April and May 2024 with the theme ‘My Meghalaya, tobacco-free Meghalaya’ and the focus will be to engage the community.
Speaking on the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD’24) launch in Meghalaya, Dr. Lana L. Nongbri, State Nodal Officer, National Tobacco Control Program, Department of Health, said, “With nearly half of adults, aged 15+, in our state consuming it, we lose 8,000 lives to tobacco-related illnesses every year in Meghalaya. That’s why the World No Tobacco Day 2024 campaign, launched on April 3rd, 2024, urges schools to join the movement with two powerful actions: ‘Walk against tobacco’ and create a ‘Wall of Posters’. This initiative is part of the ongoing efforts, the Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) program, launched in schools in March 2021 and expanded to colleges in September 2023 in partnership with the Sambandh Health Foundation. Building on last year’s success, we aim to get not only students and teachers but the entire community to join.”
A recently published paper giving results of a survey conducted across 61,748 schools in four Indian States, including Meghalaya, indicates that there is a correlation between the density of shops selling tobacco near schools and the prevalence of tobacco use in the State, that is the more the schools with shops selling tobacco near schools, the higher the tobacco usage in the State. This seems to indicate that the tobacco industry targets schools. Dr Lana Nongbri said that there have been many orders by High Courts across the country asking governments to stop sales near schools, but it is difficult to achieve. Our surveys indicated that in 2022, 41% of schools had shops selling tobacco within 100 yards. Meghalaya Police and the Education Department are collaborating to bring this down. The density does decrease but increases again quickly. By involving the community in this year’s WNTD activities, we hope that protecting children from the harms of tobacco becomes a community-wide concern.
From the Department of Education, Government of Meghalaya, Jennyfer J. Synrem shared that “Last year, an astonishing 8,000 schools banded together for WNTD23, igniting passion and gathering an impressive 65 lakh signatures. Over half a million students from our state fearlessly took a stand. Now, we’re rallying schools once more to lead the charge in the walk and Wall of Poster campaign. Let’s summon fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, friends, and our entire community to stride alongside us during the walk. Together, let’s lay the cornerstone for a tobacco-free Meghalaya. Unite with us and safeguard our breathtaking Meghalaya from the dangers of tobacco.”
As per the Deputy Commissioner, EJH, Shri Abhilash Baranwal, IAS “Let us join hands in raising awareness through initiatives like the WNTD campaign, fostering a healthier tomorrow through collective behavioural change.”
For more details contact: Dr. Lana L. Nongbri, Mobile: +91- 94361 19592