Chandrapur launches Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign; police acted against 2,459 people in six months

The Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign has begun in Chandrapur district. It was inaugurated on Monday, November 2, by District Collector Vasumana Pant. The campaign is being run under the National Tobacco Control Programme.

The campaign aims to reduce tobacco use among young people, prevent oral cancer and other tobacco-related diseases, and build a drug-free, healthy society. The work will be carried out under Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 4.0, under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Under the plan, people will be told about the harmful effects of tobacco in schools, colleges and public places. School and college campuses will be made tobacco-free. Awareness will also be spread about the ban on smoking in public places and the prohibition on selling tobacco to minors under the COTPA Act, 2003. Rallies, morning processions, drawing and essay competitions will be held, and a tobacco-free pledge will be administered. Those who want to quit tobacco will also be offered counselling and health support.

On the occasion, Collector Pant said awareness about the harm caused by tobacco products should be raised on a large scale among the new generation. He said care should be taken that the younger generation does not fall into the grip of addiction. According to the Collector, the sale of tobacco products within 100 metres of schools and colleges is prohibited, and strict action should be taken against violators. He also said regular inspection of hostels and ashram schools was necessary, and directed that a marathon be held to spread the awareness message.

District Surgeon Dr Bhaskar Sonarkar, Dental Surgeon Dr Sandeep Pipre and Dr Shweta Savlikar, district coordinator of the National Tobacco Control Programme, attended the meeting at the Collector's office. Food Safety Officers Kunal Mule and Pranay Kamble, Deputy Education Officer G.B. Chavare and Sub-Inspector Sunil Gaurkar of the police were also present.

The meeting was given details of action taken so far by various departments. Between April 2026 and September 2026, the health department took action against 396 people under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and recovered Rs 39,600 in fines. In the same period, the police department took action against 2,459 people and imposed fines of Rs 4,85,677. Under the food safety standards law, 1,331 kg of goods worth Rs 27,29,477 were seized in the same period.

Figures on schools were also presented. In the district, 314 schools were made tobacco-free in 2024-25 and 322 in 2025-26. Between April 2026 and September 2026, 65 schools have so far been made tobacco-free.