Health Ministry to accelerate tobacco control measures
Syllabus: Health
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in partnership with the World Health Organization, India, organized a National Consultation on‘ Tobacco and Lung Health’ to commemorate the World No Tobacco Day 2019 (May 31).
Key highlights of the event:
- At the event, the Health Ministry also released Guidelines for Tobacco Free Educational Institutions. The guidelines have been revised to provide a fresh momentum to the implementation of tobacco control initiatives among adolescents and young adults.
- A National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) Website was also launched. The website will house all the tobacco control related resource material at a single portal. This will cater to the ever growing demand for resource material. Apart from this, a public awareness campaign material on TB-tobacco control was also released. This material is designed to create awareness and shall also be used in social media.
- The Ministry also released Operational Guidelines for National Tobacco Testing Laboratories.
- The Ministry has commissioned three National Tobacco Testing Laboratories (NTTL) which possess world class facilities to analyze various kinds of tobacco products. The guidelines provide the operational framework for the NTTL in India.
About National Tobacco Control Programme
Government of India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in the year 2007-08, with the aim to
- Create awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption.
- Reduce the production and supply of tobacco products
- Ensure effective implementation of the provisions under COTPA
- Help people quit tobacco use, and
- Facilitate implementation of strategies for prevention and control of tobacco advocated by WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control .
Establishment of National Tobacco Testing laboratories (NTTLs) is one of the key deliverables of the NTCP
