JOIN THE COALITION AGAINST TOBACCO

With nearly one million preventable deaths caused by tobacco in India annually, tobacco has become one of the biggest public health problem. It is estimated that despite all the tobacco control efforts, nearly one billion lives would  still be lost worldwide due to tobacco use this centaury.

Tackling tobacco and the commercial interests behind it warrants a unified initiative from the civil society. A comprehensive approach, uncompromising activism and a loud unified voice is the need of the hour. People from all walks of life are required to participate and work to put an end to this poisonous drug.

This national coalition of NGO's/Trusts/Organizations/ Group of people has been formed to strengthen the movement to prevent millions of lives lost to tobacco. The coalition is not limited to NGO's working in public health but includes NGO's and Civil Society groups working on Civil Rights, Human Rights, Legal Initiatives, Consumer Empowerment, Public Safety, Child Abuse, Women Rights, Farmers Rights, Agriculture, Social improvement and  all other allied areas with an objective to save lives and improve quality of life.

Amongst others, the coalition has been formed with the following main objectives;

Immediate short term objectives:

• Reduce the death toll due to tobacco by preventing children and youngsters from initiating tobacco consumption.

• To help organizations working in tobacco control at grass-root level to increase their capacity to work against tobacco.

• To help organizations get funding from national and international organizations and ensure that the resources meant for tobacco control are used judiciously. 

• Strengthen the network of existing organizations working on tobacco control. Involve groups from village level in tobacco control activities.

• To ensure that the existing legislation for regulating tobacco is followed in its letter and spirit.

• Act as a watchdog mother-organization to track/monitor aberration in the government and other national and international organizations with regard to tobacco control initiatives.

• To persuade the government to change the existing business model for tobacco cultivation, manufacturing and trade within a firm timeframe.

Long term objectives:

• To ultimately end tobacco as an over-the-counter consumer product.

You are invited to become a part of the coalition. There is no membership fee/joining fee for the first NGO/organization joining the coalition from each district of India, which means over 604 organizations from 35 States/UT gets free membership of the coalition.