P Srinivasan I [email protected]
Rajasthan is doing excellent work in regard to tobacco control and soon the other states will adopt the ‘Rajasthan Model’. The Government of India has asked the States and Union Territories to undertake special drives on the lines of the Government of Rajasthan and follow the ‘Rajasthan Model” in regard to tobacco control.
Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said that on the directions of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot a 100-day special drive was launched in February 2022 which will culminate on World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on May 31, 2022. Health is the top priority of the Government of Rajasthan and it is really a matter of pride that the Government of India has appreciated the ‘Rajasthan Model’ in tobacco control.
Health Secretary Dr Prithvi said that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a letter dated May 18, 2022, to all the senior officers of the Health Department across the country has asked to undertake special drives in all the States/UTs for enforcement of provisions of COTPA, 2003, as has been done in the State of Rajasthan. Such drives may be planned to culminate on the WNTD or may be launched on the WNTD.
Health Department Joint Director, National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) and Nodal Officer Dr SN Dholpuria said that the tobacco consumption in the State has reduced by around 8%. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-21) men who use any kind of tobacco (15 years and above) are 42%, while in NFHS-4 (2015-16) it was 46.9%. He said that the state-level programme will be organised jointly by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Health Department at Birla Auditorium on WNTD on May 31.
He said that various awareness programmes on tobacco control are being organised in this 100-day special campaign from village to state level. Debate, painting, slogan writing and other competitions were organised in the schools at the villages across the State, then winners at the village level competed at the block level and winners at the block level will compete at the district level and the winners at the district level will compete at the state level. The final winners will be felicitated on May 31 at the state-level programme. More than 9.83 lakh people were penalised on May 1 by launching a mega drive on people using tobacco products in the public places across the State on the direction of the health minister, he said.
Similarly, at the Medical Institutions signages were put, along with committees were formed to check tobacco control, people are being made aware about the ill-effects of using tobacco and even the penalty was imposed under COTPA, 2003. The Education Department is making efforts to make all the educational institutions certified as tobacco free. The ICDS is making aganbaris tobacco free, while the Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC) in their respective villages are creating awareness about the ill-effects of tobacco use, along with taking out rallies and writing slogans. The best performer will be felicitated at the state-level function, Dr Dholpuria added.
The NTCP Nodal Officer said that Health Minister Meena wrote letters to all the elected representatives across the State to take part in the meetings and awareness programmes in their respective areas and inspire people to stay away from tobacco.
It is to be mentioned that Rajasthan has been doing well in the field of tobacco control. Rajasthan’s Health Department was selected by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the ‘World No Tobacco day Award for 2019’ for its contribution in the field of tobacco control. Rajasthan’s health department was one of the two from India to be awarded, in the South-East Asian Region.
