District Tobacco Control Cell, Kohima organized World No Tobacco Day on 31 May at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima with Managing Director NHAK Dr. Sendimeren Aonok as the special guest, DIPR informed.

Addressing the function, Aonok said that a new initiative was taken by the State Tobacco Control Cell, NTCP to take anti-tobacco campaigns from tobacco-free schools to tobacco-free homes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. He encouraged the institutions and also the students to adopt tobacco-free guidelines of the National Tobacco Control Programme to be declared tobacco-free.

District Nodal Officer NTCP Dr. I Simon Sumi briefed on the objectives of the Tobacco-free home campaign. He said that when the students are motivated and given in charge of creating anti-tobacco awareness in their homes, there is huge potential to take this campaign to thousands of homes.

To be eligible for a tobacco-free home badge, a simple checklist is given to the intending students which needs to be first complied with.

When they are ready, the tobacco-free pledge is signed by the head of the family. He also said that the most important thing one needs to do for tobacco control is awareness and it should start with schools and homes.

Managing Director Dr. Sendimeren Aonok also gave away the certificate to the winners of the essay competition. Ketsino Jane Frances from St. Paul school, Phesama bagged the first position, Kinzinnang Gonmei of Daintybuds Higher Secondary School, and Lipuni from Model Higher Secondary School bagged second and third positions respectively.

DTCC Kohima declared 10 Tobacco free Homes from Fernwood Higher Secondary School and Minister’s Hill Baptist Higher Secondary School.