Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign Launched In Tirupati
Tirupati launched Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 4.0 with an awareness rally and pledge, as district police reported over 11,000 tobacco-control challans in 2026-27.
The Tirupati district medical and health department launched the Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 4.0 on Wednesday to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use.
District medical and health officer Dr V. Balakrishna Naik flagged off an awareness rally from the district medical and health office. He urged young people to stay away from tobacco products and protect their health.
Dr Naik said tobacco use could lead to serious health problems, including cancer, heart diseases and respiratory disorders. He advised youth to adopt healthy lifestyles and called for coordinated efforts by various departments to spread awareness about the ill effects of tobacco consumption.
According to the EAGLE team, Tirupati district police had issued 11,187 challans and collected fines of `3.96 lakh during 2026-27 as part of the enforcement of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. The team said the district had secured the first position in the state in the number of challans issued and fines collected as part of tobacco control measures.
A human chain was formed near SV Medical College, where participants took a pledge against the use of tobacco products. Officials from various national health programmes, the non-communicable diseases team, staff of the DMHO office, EAGLE team members, students of Padmavathi Nursing College, and others participated in the programme.