Rajasthan receives WHO recognition for tobacco control programme
Jaipur, May 19
Rajasthan has achieved a significant global milestone in tobacco control.
The Department of Medical and Health, Government of Rajasthan, has been conferred with a prestigious international honour under the World Health Organization's World No Tobacco Day Awards 2026 for its exemplary work in implementing tobacco control initiatives across the state.
The award has been presented by the World Health Organization in recognition of Rajasthan's remarkable achievements in tobacco control during 2025-26 within the South-East Asia Region.
Expressing happiness over the achievement, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma stated that the honour reflects the state government's unwavering commitment to public health, effective policy implementation, and its vision of building a "Tobacco-Free Rajasthan".
He said the government is continuously taking concrete and result-oriented steps to protect citizens, especially the youth, from the harmful effects of tobacco consumption.
The Chief Minister added that the recognition is a testament to the collective efforts of the Department of Medical and Health, district administrations, healthcare personnel, and various social organisations working across the state.
Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said Rajasthan has established itself as a benchmark model for tobacco control across the country.
He highlighted that the state has significantly expanded tobacco cessation treatment and counselling services, benefiting lakhs of people.
He further affirmed that the government will continue strengthening the tobacco control movement through enhanced public awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement measures in the coming years.
At present, more than 500 tobacco cessation treatment and counselling centres are operational across Rajasthan, with services extending down to the block level.
These centres have been geo-tagged and integrated with digital platforms, enabling citizens to easily identify and access the nearest facility.
The state has also undertaken effective enforcement drives under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, and the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019.
In addition, extensive awareness campaigns were conducted through social media platforms, generating over 60,000 messages, updates, and public outreach activities related to tobacco prohibition.
The government also ensured compliance with "Tobacco-Free School" guidelines in more than 83,000 schools across the state.
Around 255,000 awareness activities, including street plays, rallies, competitions, and public campaigns, were organised to raise awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco.
Furthermore, the "Tobacco-Free Village" campaign is being actively implemented across rural Rajasthan.
By linking the initiative with the Ayushman Adarsh Gram Yojana, the state government has ensured broad-based community participation in villages.
It is noteworthy that the World Health Organization confers the World No Tobacco Day Awards globally across six regions: the African Region, the Region of the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the European Region, the South-East Asia Region, and the Western Pacific Region.
In the World Health Organization's World No Tobacco Day Awards 2026 list, Rajasthan's Department of Medical and Health has secured the top honour in the South-East Asia Region.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some real work on public health. My father was a chain smoker for 30 years and these counselling centres actually helped him quit last year. The geo-tagging feature made it easy to find a centre near our village. Kudos to the health department! 👏
Impressive statistics - 83,000 schools made tobacco-free and 255,000 awareness activities! That's massive outreach. But I wonder about the enforcement of COTPA 2003 in rural areas. Still see gutka being sold openly in some villages near Jodhpur. Need stricter penalty implementation honestly.
Good start but we need to question why tobacco products are still so cheap and easily available across Rajasthan despite these efforts. The Tobacco-Free Village campaign is nice but tax increases on cigarettes and bidis would have more impact. The WHO recognition is deserved but the real battle is against industry lobbying.
As someone from a small town in Rajasthan, I can vouch for the change. The street plays and competitions in our school really educated us about tobacco harms. My younger brother even convinced our uncle to stop chewing tobacco after watching one of these programs. Proud of our state today! ❤️🇮🇳
Recognition is fine but implementation gaps remain. The ban on e-cigarettes from 2019 is good but I still see vape pens sold in Jaipur's MI Road area. Also, what about beedi workers' livelihoods? Shouldn't the government provide alternative employment before banning things? Just my two rupees on this important issue.
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