Shillong, May 12: Nearly 50 per cent of Meghalaya’s population aged above 15 years consumes tobacco, while around 8,000 people die every year from tobacco-related illnesses in the state, officials said during the launch of the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2026 campaign on Monday.
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| Students participate in a World No Tobacco Day awareness rally at Ampati Government Higher Secondary School in South West Garo Hills district, Meghalaya, as part of the WNTD 2026 campaign against tobacco addiction. |
Launching the campaign, State Nodal Officer of the National Tobacco Control Programme, Dr Nabaneeta D Mawrie, described the growing tobacco addiction in Meghalaya as a serious public health crisis and stressed the urgent need for stronger preventive action.
“Tobacco is not just a habit; it is a trap carefully designed to addict our youth and communities,” Dr Mawrie said, adding that the state loses nearly 22 people every day to tobacco-related diseases.
The WNTD 2026 campaign has been launched under the theme “Tobacco! The Business of Death,” aligning with the global theme “Unmasking the appeal, countering nicotine and tobacco addiction.”
Officials said the awareness drive, which began on April 6, will continue across schools and colleges throughout April and May before culminating on May 31, observed globally as World No Tobacco Day.
According to Dr Mawrie, the campaign aims to mobilise educational institutions to organise rallies, signature campaigns, and outreach programmes to expose harmful tobacco industry practices and encourage healthier choices among students and youth.
She also highlighted progress made under the Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Sambandh Health Foundation. Over the past four years, more than 9,000 schools and nearly six lakh students across Meghalaya have participated in anti-tobacco awareness programmes.
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Education department official Jennyfer J Synrem said the increasing participation in recent years reflects growing public awareness and community involvement.
“In 2026, we are not just continuing a campaign; we are building a movement. Schools are not only centres of learning but catalysts of change,” she said.
Deputy Commissioner of South West Garo Hills, Anendya Raajsshre, also stressed the importance of sustained efforts to ensure awareness campaigns translate into meaningful action against tobacco addiction in the state.
