A 60-day “Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 3.0 (TFYC 3.0)”, aimed at educating and empowering children and young people to prevent the initiation of tobacco use, will be launched by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on October 9. The campaign also seeks to support those who wish to quit and to promote a strong culture of health and wellness across schools and higher education institutions.
In a statement issued here, the Ministry of Education said that tobacco use remains a major public health challenge, claiming over 13 lakh lives annually in India. The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-2019) reported that 8.4% of students aged 13–15 years currently use tobacco products, with the average age of initiation being just 10 years. Recognizing the vulnerability of youth, the Government has adopted a whole-of-government approach to address this issue through sustained awareness, prevention, and enforcement measures.
The Ministry further stated that states and union territories have been urged to reaffirm their commitment to implementing the Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) and to undertake proactive activities to sensitize youth about the ill effects of tobacco and other forms of substance abuse under TFYC 3.0.
Key activities under the campaign will include enforcement drives to ensure educational institutions remain tobacco-free; capacity-building workshops for school heads, NSS/NCC volunteers, and teachers to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco and substance abuse; counselling and support sessions for students wishing to quit; and community outreach campaigns to promote 100-yard tobacco-free zones around schools, colleges, universities, and vocational training institutions.
The campaign will also feature competitions for innovative awareness initiatives, recognition of ToFEI-compliant institutions, and the dissemination of educational videos. Participants will also be encouraged to join national initiatives such as the World No Tobacco Day Quiz and the ‘School Challenge: Towards a Tobacco-Free Generation’ on the MyGov platform.