Jharkhand to get ‘World No Tobacco Day’ award from WHO

State’s tobacco control efforts get international recognition: Banna

Ranchi, May 29: The World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to give this year’s World No Tobacco Day Award to “State Tobacco Control Cell, Jharkhand” for excellent work in the field of tobacco control.

On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) honors selected organizations and individuals of the world every year for their significant contribution in the field of tobacco control. In view of the commendable work done under health minister Banna Gupta for this prestigious international award, “State Tobacco Control Cell, Jharkhand” has been selected from India for doing excellent work in the field of tobacco control in the state of Jharkhand this year.

Banna Gupta in a release issued on Sunday congratulated the State Tobacco Control Cell and SEEDS for this international award and also said that their positive efforts towards tobacco control have been appreciated at the international level.

“ This honor has been given to every person of the state because it has been possible only with the cooperation of the general public, and I would urge the people of the state to continue to cooperate in this so that they can be saved from tobacco-borne diseases,” the release said.

Banna Gupta informed that the State Tobacco Control Cell, in collaboration with the Jharkhand Technical Collaborative Society, Socio-Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS), has made many positive efforts for the successful operation of tobacco control program over the last decade. As a result of which the number of people using tobacco in Jharkhand has come down from 50.1 per cent to 38.9 per cent according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2) 2018 data. This data shows that positive efforts have been made by the State Tobacco Control Cell, Jharkhand and technical partner organization SEEDS, Jharkhand for tobacco control.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health Department, Arun Kumar Singh said that this prestigious international award is the result of the committed efforts of the State Health Department and the honest working style of the technical partner organization SEEDs.

“I congratulate each and every people of the state for this international award. The award is to all the officials and workers at the state and district level. This award will encourage every person in the state who has played his part in tobacco control. I congratulate all the officers and officials at the state, district, sub-division and block level for this international honor, and hope that this effort will continue,” said Singh.

SEEDS executive director Deepak Mishra said that to give impetus to the compliance of Tobacco Control Act (COTPA-2003), State Anti Tobacco Guerrilla Squad has been constituted at the State level and three tier (District, Subdivision, Block) Anti Tobacco Guerrilla Squad in the districts.

Apart from this, sensitization and training workshops have been organized for the officials, stakeholders and media personnel of various departments at the state and district level. As a result of which the violators of the law are also being punished by implementing the process of regular raids to ensure compliance of Tobacco Control Act (COTPA-2003) in all the districts. Tobacco Emancipation Centers were established in all the districts and all the dental and medical colleges of the state.

According to the instructions of the state government, all government and non-government offices in the state were declared tobacco free. Eight districts have been declared smoke-free by the district administration in the last two years on the basis of the report given by the state government by conducting a compliance survey related to the violation of tobacco control laws. The COTPA State Amendment Act 2021 has been passed by the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly.