Jharkhand to be awarded by WHO on World Tobacco Day

RANCHI, Jharkhand: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Sunday, decided to award Jharkhand for recognising the efforts made by the state towards the prevention and control of usage of tobacco under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) launched by the Government of India in 2007-08. On the occasion of World Tobacco Day (May 31), the State Tobacco Control Cell (STCC) will receive the award.

The NTCP was introduced in Jharkhand in 2012. At that time, the prevalence rate of tobacco in the state stood at 51 per cent, out of which, 48 per cent were smokeless tobacco users, according to the first Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2009-10. In the second GATS report, 2018, the number of tobacco users came down to 38.9 per cent out of which 35.4 per cent were smokeless users.

The NTCP was launched by the Government of India, as a subset of the National Health Mission (NHM) under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. During the 11^th Five Year Plan, NTCP covered 42 districts of 21 states. The programme aims to (i) raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption, (ii) reduce the consumption and supply of tobacco, (iii) effective implementation of “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, (COTPA) 2003”, (iv) helping the user to quit tobacco consumption and (v) implementation of prevention and control measures recommended by the WHO. Also, tobacco control cells are established under the programme at the nation, state and district levels. Currently, the programme is being implemented in 612 districts of 36 states and union territories.