Chandigarh:
A two-day Regional Consultation for Key Stakeholders on the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) organized by the Resource Centre for Tobacco Control (RCTC), PGIMER Chandigarh, in collaboration with Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, and Vital Strategies ON 18-19th March 2025 at Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, hosted stakeholders (Policy Makers, Implementor, Civil Society and academician) from five states. The event aimed to strengthen NTCP implementation in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Telangana by bringing together key policymakers, public health experts, law enforcement officials, and civil society representatives to discuss strategies for advancing tobacco control efforts across states.
Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, Director of ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, emphasized that with 3,500 deaths per day in the country, tobacco control should be a national priority. He highlighted the importance of conducting regional-level workshops for key stakeholders across different parts of the country to sensitize and orient them on various tobacco control strategies. Through these workshops, participants also had the opportunity to learn best practices from other states, Dr. Pankaj stated.
Dr. Sonu Goel, Professor at PGIMER Chandigarh and Director of the Resource Centre for Tobacco Control, emphasized the importance of regional collaboration and multi-sectoral partnerships in tobacco control. He further highlighted those previous consultations in New Delhi, Goa, and Guwahati served as important platforms for developing regional plans for tobacco control in the country. He acknowledged the sincere contributions of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), along with various academic institutions and civil society stakeholders, in strengthening tobacco control efforts across the country.
Dr. Rana J. Singh, Director – Southeast Asia, Vital Strategies, called for strengthening policy enforcement, youth prevention strategies, and innovative cessation approaches to advance tobacco control.
Dr. L. Swasticharan, Additional Director General, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening tobacco control policies through multi-sectoral engagement, rigorous implementation of COTPA provisions, expanded cessation services, and youth-centric awareness campaigns.
Shri Kishore Gaike, Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), Navi Mumbai Police, joined as the chief guest and highlighted the need for strict enforcement of tobacco control laws such as COTPA, he assured continued support from law enforcement agencies in the state of Maharashtra.
The regional consultation hosted various experts from diverse parts of the country, including Dr. P.C. Gupta, Director of Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health; Dr. Rakesh Gupta from Rajasthan Cancer Foundation; Dr. Rajesh Dikshit and Dr. Dr. Gauravi Mishra from Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Deepak Mishra, Executive Director of SEEDS Bihar; and many more.
The Regional Tobacco Control Plan was developed to strengthen the efforts of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) across states.
