Manipur: Pherzawl launches Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0 under Sardar@150

Imphal: Pherzawl, the most backward district in Manipur bordering Mizoram to the west, launched the Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0 on Thursday under the Sardar@150 initiative, aiming to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco among students and the wider community.

The District Health Society (DHS), Pherzawl, organized the event at Parbung, the district headquarters, following the state government’s statewide ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, and sale of Gutkha, Pan Masala, and other chewing tobacco products containing tobacco or nicotine for a period of one year, effective October 27, 2025.

As part of the campaign, DHS distributed awareness materials, including wall posters on the Tobacco Free Educational Institute (ToFEI), COTPA-2003, PECA-2019, and other anti-tobacco messages to schools and representatives.

Dr. Hmanglamkhup Kom, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Pherzawl, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the dangers of tobacco use and urging students and teachers to champion a tobacco-free lifestyle.

He encouraged schools to become Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions and motivated village leaders to take initiatives toward making their villages tobacco-free zones.

Participants, including students and teachers, took a collective pledge to refrain from using or supporting tobacco.

A student rally was also organized to voice opposition to tobacco use, followed by an enforcement drive with police personnel to check and remove tobacco products sold within 100 yards of schools.

The event was held with the Chairman of the Village Authority as Chief Guest, the ASI of Parbung Police Station as Guest of Honor, and the Headmaster of the host school as Functional President.