Sonitpur's Christian-majority villages strive to go tobacco-free

Guwahati: Sonitpur district has launched a pioneering initiative to establish ‘tobacco-free villages’. Indigenous inhabitants of Christian-majority tribal villages have commenced abstaining from tobacco consumption, following earnest appeals from church and communal leadership.

The campaign is a part of the National Tobacco-free Youth Campaign 2.0, running from Sept 24 to Nov 24. It prioritises the removal of tobacco vendors and shops from near educational institutions and residential areas through community consultation.

The district aims to create twenty tobacco-free villages, with notable success already observed in three predominantly Christian settlements — Phulaguri Garo Gaon, Phulaguri Nyshi Gaon and Chengelimara Garo Gaon. These villages — home to Garo and Nyshi tribal communities — have shown a remarkable response to religious and community leaders’ appeals.

“Tobacco products are no longer sold openly in our village. There are around four shops, but village development committees requested the shopkeepers to stop selling tobacco products for the betterment of the young generation and they have agreed. The church’s appeal worked significantly,” said Chengelimara Garo Gaon Mahila Samiti member Rina Marak.

District nodal officer for tobacco control Achyut Hazarika told TOI on Tuesday, “Legally it may not be possible but our campaign aims to encourage villagers to give up tobacco voluntarily in the villages selected for this campaign. The number of tobacco users significantly reduced in the three Christian-majority villages.”

The district has designated areas around as many as 140 schools as tobacco-free zones and issued orders prohibiting tobacco use in prominent locations, including the Brahmaputra riverbank.

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