The Ministry of Education, in joint collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, will launch the Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0 today. The Ministry of Education said that this national campaign will mark a significant step towards realising the government’s vision of a tobacco-free generation. This 60-day national campaign seeks to educate and empower children and youth to prevent the initiation of tobacco use, support those who wish to quit, and promote a strong culture of health and wellness across schools and institutes of higher education.

The Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2019 reported that 8.4% of students aged between 13 and 15 years currently use tobacco products, with an average initiation age of just 10 years. Recognising the vulnerability of young people, the government has adopted a whole-of-government approach to address this issue through sustained awareness, prevention, and enforcement measures. Under the campaign, various activities will be organised, including the World No Tobacco Quiz and School Challenge on the MyGov platform, counselling and support sessions for students to quit tobacco and other forms of substance abuse.