Dimapur: Govt rolled out a 60-day Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign (TFYC) 4.0 across Nagaland on Wednesday. As part of the campaign, district-level launch programmes and a series of tobacco-control activities will be conducted in all districts of the state.State Tobacco Control Cell (STCC) under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) launched the campaign at the Nagaland Institute of Allied and Healthcare in Kohima.Director of health and family welfare Imotemsu formally launched the campaign as chief guest.In his address, Imotemsu stressed the importance of using the 60-day period to intensify tobacco-control activities, strengthen coordination across districts and assess progress towards the campaign’s targets.He expressed hope that the campaign would reinforce ongoing initiatives and support sustained implementation beyond the campaign period.The keynote address was delivered by the state nodal officer for NTCP, I Simon Sumi, who outlined the six key strategies of TFYC 4.0 and highlighted the harmful effects of tobacco use, particularly among young people.The campaign focuses on six strategies: public awareness; tobacco-free educational institutions; tobacco-free villages; enforcement of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, and the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019; social media engagement; and engagement with universities and colleges.Key targets include conducting at least 30 information, education and communication (IEC) events in each district; increasing institutional compliance and tobacco-free village coverage by 50%; increasing enforcement activities by 20%; and onboarding 30% of universities and colleges in the state.The campaign seeks to strengthen tobacco prevention, improve compliance with tobacco-control laws, and mobilise educational institutions, communities and stakeholders across Nagaland to protect young people from tobacco use and promote a healthier, tobacco-free generation.
