New Delhi (The Hawk): The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India organized a virtual event to observe World No Tobacco Day 2022 on 31st of May 2022. The theme of World No Tobacco Day this year is “Tobacco: Threat to our Environment.” The event was chaired by Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, along with Smt. Roli Singh, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, MoHFW; Prof. Dr. Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services and other senior officers of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Following activities took place on this occasion:
The winners of “Quit Tobacco Be A Hero Campaign” were felicitated. This campaign was undertaken by National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, with an objective;
- To provide a platform to tobacco users to share their narrative of quitting or attempting to quit through a self-made video and
- Promotion of the National Tobacco Quitline Toll-Free 1800-11-2356 and m-Cessation services.
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India in collaboration with MyGov, organized the online competitions, viz. Poster Making/Slogan writing; Video Making and Essay Writing, during the last year’s World No Tobacco Day, 2021. These online competitions received huge response, across the country from youth as well as general citizens. The winners of these competitions were also felicitated.
The WNTD 2022 event also provided a platform for release of Pocket book on Standard Treatment Guidelines for Substance Use Disorders and Behavioural Addictions and Mobile APP (Android & iOS) “Addiction-Rx” for assisting physicians to provide quality care in substance use disorders, under Drug De-Addiction Programme.
Secretary along with senior officers of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; State Government officers as well as partner organizations, took a “No Tobacco Pledge”.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has enabled a provision for taking Online “No Tobacco Pledge”, through MyGov platform. States & Union Territories and all stakeholders have been requested to disseminate the Pledge widely and encourage maximum participation in the No Tobacco Pledge campaign from 31st May, 2022 to 21st June, 2022.