Uttar Pradesh is the most populous State of India with over 200 million people (or the size of Brazil) living in 75 districts. It has a higher incidence of tobacco use (about 34 per cent) than the national average. This means that the State has 42.5 million tobacco users or more than the population of the 32nd largest country Ukraine.

Tobacco is cultivated, processed and produced in the State. According the India Cancer Report, the State also has the highest prevalence of throat and mouth cancer cases – about 20 per cent of the national burden. The age of initiation of tobacco use is among the lowest in India, and chewing, bidi smoking and cigarettes (in that order) are the principal forms of tobacco use.

Tobacco Control Programme is implemented by UPVHA with the financial support of Bloom Berg Initiatives through The Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, New Delhi. The objective of the project is effective implementation and enforcement of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, especially Sections 4, 5 and 6 in 25 districts of UP.

The project envisages creating smoke free public places and tobacco free educational institutions and towards these it seeks to build capacity of the policy makers, law enforcers, coalition partners, educational institutions, panchayati raj Institutions, health workers and NGOs on Sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 of COTPA.

Achievements So Far

• State level review meeting organized under chairmanship of the Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh
• In all 75 districts meetings organized on the theme with district administration ownership
• More than 115 circulars from district administration to all government establishments including education, panchayati raj and health department
• Ayodhya and Rampur district administrations declared all government institutions tobacco free and other 25 districts are in advance stage to declare all government offices tobacco free
• Yellow Line Campaign run across UP. Secretary, H&FW, GoUP, decided to run Yellow Line Campaign in all government offices
• Director Secondary Education released circular for DIOS in all 75 districts to run Yellow Line Campaign in schools. Almost 3,500 educational institutions and 2,500 government offices covered under this campaign
• Director General Health, GoUP, released order to declare all wellness centres tobacco free in UP after directions received from the Secretary, H&FW, GoUP.
• Supported DTCC to organize stakeholder sensitization in Rae Bareli, Basti, Mahoba, Jalaun, Jhansi, Kannauj, Farrukhabad, Sultanpur, Hardoi, Bareilly, Rampur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Barabanki, Amroha, Agra and Moradabad districts. More than 3416 district and block level officials, media persons and PRIs in these districts sensitized