New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, organized an event today to observe World No Tobacco Day 2024.
Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra addressed the event through a video message, focusing on the devastating impact of tobacco use. He emphasized the Government’s proactive stance, implementing measures across various levels–local, national, regional, and global–to significantly reduce tobacco prevalence and exposure to tobacco smoke, thereby fostering healthier communities.
The day is also an opportunity to re-emphasise the importance of tobacco control measures and to promote policies that support a smoke-free society. The World No Tobacco Day theme for 2024 emphasises the need for governments and tobacco companies to take strong actions to reduce tobacco use and to promote a smoke-free lifestyle. It also highlights the importance of protecting children and young people from the tobacco industry’s marketing and promotion strategies. The WHO World No Tobacco Day Award is given annually to individuals or organisations that have made significant contributions to the tobacco control efforts.
The award aims to recognise and celebrate the achievements of those who have played a role in reducing tobacco use and to promote a smoke-free lifestyle. World No Tobacco Day presents an important opportunity to draw public attention to the harmful effects of tobacco and to promote a smoke-free lifestyle. It is a day to reflect on the devastating impact of tobacco use on individuals, families, and communities and to highlight the importance of investing in tobacco control measures.
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