Jorhat village launches year-long anti-tobacco programme

Sahpuria gaon, on the outskirts of Jorhat town, on Tuesday began a journey that would test its people's determination. On the occasion of World No Tobacco day, the Jorhat district administration and the district tobacco control cell kicked-off a year-long anti-tobacco programme in the village. On successful completion of the year-long programme, the village will be declared the first tobacco-free hamlet in the country.

The district tobacco control cell in-charge Bhaktimoy Bhattacharya said, "Sahpuria gaon started the No Tobacco Year-Long programme on the occasion of the World No Tobacco day."

"More than 300 households of the hamlet have already given up using tobacco and tobacco-based products from Tuesday," he said and added, "People of the village will be kept under the supervision of the district tobacco control cell. If they succeed in giving up tobacco use in the next one year, the national tobacco control programme of India will give the declaration to them."

"Earlier, a village in Kerela had started such an operation to make themselves as the India's first tobacco free village, but later failed to bring the record. But, I'm hopeful that Sahpuria gaon will be able to shine in the national-level for its efforts," he said.

Meanwhile, the B Barooah Cancer Institute and the KC Das Commerce College, Guwahati, have declared the college as a tobacco-free zone on Tuesday to prevent the exposure of students to tobacco and tobacco-based products.

Amal Chandra Kataki, director of the B Barooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) said, "It was an initiative of the BBCI preventive oncology department and the administrative authorities of the KC Das Commerce College. We got a lot of support from the students as well," he said.

Dr Shravana Misra Bhagabati, oncologist, BBCI said, "We have been working with the KC Das Commerce College for the last two years and striving to make it a tobacco-free zone. Finally, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, the college has been declared a tobacco-free zone."