State's tobacco control initiatives among best programmes in country: Rajasthan Health Minister

Innovative tobacco control initiatives taken in Rajasthan have been included among the best programmes in the country, the state's Health Minister Raghu Sharma said on Monday.

A presentation on Rajasthan's tobacco control programme and its implementation will be made before health officials of all states at the 'National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices and Innovation Public Health Care Systems in India' to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from November 16 to 18, he was quoted as saying in a statement.

Sharma congratulated the tobacco control unit of the state for this achievement and urged it to effectively implement the programme in the future as well.

During a campaign organised by the health department on the occasion of Sarvodaya Day (January 30), 1.13 crore people took the oath of not consuming tobacco products and drugs, he said.

Last month, the Rajasthan government effected a ban on paan masala containing nicotine, magnesium carbonate and mineral oil.

In May, the World Health Organization had awarded the state's Health Department in recognition of its achievements in the field of tobacco control.