India launches its national campaign 'Tobacco Free Youth 3.0'

Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel launched the “Tobacco Free Youth 3.0” (TFYC 3.0) campaign on October 9, 2025, at Baptist College, Kohima. This is a 60-day national initiative supported by WHO to protect young people from the dangers of tobacco and nicotine products.[1]This campaign is part of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland and aims to raise awareness among adolescents, help them resist social pressure and encourage them to become ambassadors of a tobacco-free and addiction-free lifestyle.

Six areas of action for tobacco-free youth

Building on the results of previous tobacco control initiatives, the Union Ministry of Health launched the first “Youth Without Tobacco” campaign on May 31, 2023, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day.[2]This first campaign declared over 1,42,184 educational institutions and over 12,000 villages tobacco-free, and rigorous enforcement of anti-smoking laws resulted in fines exceeding 10 million rupees (approximately €97,000).

The momentum continued with TFYC 2.0 in September 2024, which reinforced the campaign's impact: more than 1,067,762 educational institutions and 27,534 villages were granted smoke-free zone status, and increased enforcement resulted in fines exceeding 1,100,000 rupees (€10,720).

The new “Tobacco Free Youth 3.0” campaign is based on six priorities:

First, awareness campaigns on the dangers of tobacco;

Then a strengthening of the system of tobacco-free schools (ToFEI);

Then, strict enforcement of tobacco control laws, including the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) of 2003 (ban on smoking in public places, ban on direct and indirect tobacco advertising, graphic health warnings, ban on sales to minors and near schools, etc.) and the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) of 2019 (total ban on the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertising of electronic cigarettes, with increased controls and penalties);

In addition, an extension of the “Tobacco-Free Villages” initiative, to support communities in reducing tobacco consumption;

In addition, mobilization on social networks, thanks to targeted digital actions;

Finally, capacity building in smoking cessation assistance programs.

Through this campaign, the Indian government aims to create a tobacco-free learning environment, educate and empower youth, and promote a culture of well-being and prevention in schools and universities across the country.

TFYC 3.0 emphasizes a holistic “whole of government” approach through enhanced partnership and coordination among key ministries (Education, Electronics and Information Technology, Information and Broadcasting, Rural Development, Youth and Sports, Tribal Affairs, Finance, Telecommunications, Home Affairs, Social Justice and Empowerment) as well as local governments, Panchayati Raj, as well as enhanced collaboration with development partners.

Strengthened public policies to protect young people

Tobacco use is a major public health issue in India, causing more than 1.3 million deaths annually. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 43% of school-going children aged 13 to 15 in Nagaland currently use some form of tobacco, one of the highest rates in the country.[3], where on average 8.4 % of students aged 13 to 15 currently use tobacco products, with an average age of initiation estimated at 10 years. Children are particularly vulnerable to early experimentation with tobacco ", recalled Minister Patel.

Puniya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, pointed out that nearly 65% of India's population is made up of young people who are likely to use tobacco. She said the Union government signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on February 5, 2004, and implemented strict tobacco control laws to reduce tobacco consumption and limit its influence.

India is a pioneer in regulating the portrayal of tobacco in film, television, and online platforms, by imposing health messages and visual warnings.

To further limit the spread of tobacco, all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship are strictly prohibited in the country. This ban has been extended to vaping products. The size of the pictorial health warnings affixed to tobacco packaging is one of the most stringent in the world.

The sale of tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 and within 100 meters of educational establishments is strictly prohibited, and the production, sale, transport and storage of e-cigarettes is also completely prohibited nationwide.

In early July, a group of doctors supported by the organization Mothers Against Vaping also warned that More and more Indian children and adolescents are succumbing to the use of e-cigarettes, exposing an entire generation to the effects of addiction. While the 2019 PECA (Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act) prohibits the manufacture, sale, importation, distribution, and advertising of e-cigarettes, with fines of up to 5 million rupees (approximately €50,000) and three years in prison for repeat offenses, enforcement of this provision remains limited, as despite significant seizures, online sales and promotion are far from having disappeared.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AD

[1]The Statesman, Govt launches Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 3.0 to safeguard students' health, published October 9, 2025, accessed October 10, 2025

[2]PIB Delhi, Union MoS for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel Launches Third Tobacco Free Youth Campaign- Calls on Youth to become ambassadors of a tobacco-free and addiction-free lifestyle, published October 9, 2025, accessed October 10, 2025

[3]Loreni Tsanglao, Nagaland launches Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0 to strengthen fight against tobacco use, India Today NE, published October 9, 2025, accessed October 10, 2025

National Committee Against Smoking |