Imphal, Oct 2: The Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 2.0 was launched by Manipur’s Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh, on Tuesday. This campaign aims to reduce tobacco use in the Northeast as part of a national initiative.

Dr. Ranjan noted that around 80 lakh people die from tobacco-related illnesses globally each year, with 13.5 lakh deaths in India. He urged families and experts to support those struggling with addiction and called on the youth of Manipur to participate in the two-month campaign.

During the launch, a guidebook titled “Release of Health Workers Guide, SOPs for Tobacco Free Villages, Law Enforcers Guidelines-COTPA 2023 and PECA 2019” was released, and attendees took a pledge to support the campaign.