Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct. 6: As part of its continuous efforts to promote public health and build a tobacco-free generation, the District Health Society, South Andaman under the National Health Mission (NHM) in coordination with DHS launched the ‘Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 3.0’ at the Primary Health Centre (PHC)/Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM), Garacharma. The campaign will continue for the next 60 days with a series of awareness and outreach activities.
The event was inaugurated by Smti. Kavitha Uday Kumar, Councillor, Ward No. 24, SVPMC, in the presence of Dr. M. Joy, Chief Medical Officer (i/c), PHC Garacharma, and Shri B. Nagendra, District Programme Manager, District Health Society (SA) – NHM. The campaign aims to create awareness among the youth about the ill effects of tobacco consumption, encourage them to adopt a healthy and tobacco-free lifestyle, and motivate communities to collectively combat tobacco addiction.
During the event, Dr. M. Joy delivered a detailed presentation highlighting the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and harmful effects of tobacco on health, including its strong association with cancer, heart disease, stroke & respiratory illnesses. He also emphasized the need for early intervention, counselling, and preventive education to reduce tobacco use among youth.
As part of the campaign activities, students actively participated in essay and drawing competitions on the theme “Say No to Tobacco.” The winners were felicitated with certificates and cash prizes as a token of appreciation for their creativity and commitment to spreading the anti-tobacco message.
The event concluded with a pledge by all participants to create awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and to contribute towards building a healthy and tobacco-free society.