Bhubaneswar: Odisha has secured the top position in the country in the tobacco-free village campaign. The Abhiyan was launched under the Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 2023. The campaign continued for two months from July to August.
The Government of India has awarded the State for the initiative. “Awareness programmes are being taken up in the village level for the tobacco-free village. The Centre has appreciated our initiative and awarded us for the reason,” Public Health Director Dr Niranjan Mishra said.
Odisha is the first State in the country to start a tobacco-free village campaign. The health department had written to the Panchayati Raj department to implement Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act 2003 (COTPA 2003) through sarpanch in villages.
So far 54 panchayats have been declared tobacco-free. The campaign is going on in 114 more gram panchayats in the State. Tobacco-free school campaign is running successfully across the state.
