Shillong: Meghalaya’s village-level tobacco-control programme has recorded a sharp expansion, with the number of Village Health Councils (VHCs) meeting tobacco-free criteria more than doubling in a year, health officials said.Tobacco is estimated to claim around 8,000 lives annually in the state, where 47% of people use tobacco. The growing reach of village-level prevention is being seen as a major public health achievement, officials said.The Tobacco-Free Village (TfV) programme was launched in 2024 in East Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills by National Health Mission (NHM), Meghalaya, in collaboration with Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society. Sambandh Health Foundation is the implementation partner.Of the 1,295 VHCs across the two districts, 264, or 20%, met the criteria to become tobacco-free in 2024. In 2025, the figure rose to 531, or 41%. As many as 1,039 VHCs are now actively implementing the programme.More than 5,500 anti-tobacco activities were conducted last year, engaging over 55,000 community members. The third year of the programme began on Sept 1, 2026.As Dr. Nabaneeta D. Mawrie, state nodal officer, NHM Meghalaya, put it, “The Tobacco-Free Village programme is not about declaring villages tobacco-free on paper; it is about communities taking action. Tobacco-related health issues and ways to prevent tobacco use are increasingly being discussed through VHC and Self-Help Group meetings besides community gatherings, reflecting growing community ownership of tobacco control in villages.”In Mawmluh VHC under Shella block, around 40-50% of villagers have stopped smoking or using tobacco in public places such as tea shops, bus stands and social gatherings. Around 60-70% have stopped smoking inside their homes, particularly around infants and young children.VHC tobacco-free village nodals are also working with school authorities to prevent the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products near schools. Officials said the programme had contributed to greater awareness, reduced tobacco use and “positive behavioural change” in communities.Three best-performing VHCs were recognised by Meghalaya govt during the state-level observance of World No Tobacco Day 2026 in Shillong. Each received a certificate of appreciation and a cash award.“Community by community, home by home, Meghalaya is proving that tobacco-free living is not a distant goal but a reality being built right now — and setting the benchmark for the rest of India to follow,” a health official said.
