The Union Health Minister, Anbumani Ramadoss will give another push to his relentless campaign against tobacco when he will attend Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) programme 'Smoke Free Campus' tomorrow. DUSU is organizing the programme in the light of new academic session as the campaign aims to bring the movement of smoke free campus to the freshers. The Delhi University was declared 'No Smoking Zone' on 14th February, 2008 in a function inaugurated by Union Minister, Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar.
The function assumes significance in the context of Minister's announcement of complete ban on smoking in public places from 2nd October, 2008. “The Cigarette and other tobacco products (Prohibition and Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production Supply and Distribution”) Act, 2003 is one of the most comprehensive tobacco control act in the world. Rules to implement the law have been notified and revised to expand the definition of public places to include all work places shopping malls, cinema halls, etc. State Governments are being sensitized to accord due priority to the implementation of the law.
Government of India has launched National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in the 11th five-year plan to implement anti-tobacco laws. School programme is one of the crucial part of the national programme targeting school children as well as college going youth.
India is one of the pioneer signatories of WHO
