The Ministry of Education, in joint collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, will launch the “Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0 (TFYC 3.0)” on 9th October 2025, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to creating a tobacco-free learning environment and protecting the health of young citizens across India. This national campaign marks a significant step towards realizing the Government’s vision of a tobacco-free generation.
Tobacco use continues to be a major public health challenge, claiming over 13 lakh lives annually in India. The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-2019) reported that 8.4% of students aged 13–15 years currently use tobacco products, with an average initiation age of just 10 years. Recognizing the vulnerability of youth, the Government has adopted a whole-of-government approach to address this issue through sustained awareness, prevention, and enforcement measures.
This 60-day national campaign (TFYC 3.0) seeks to educate and empower children and youth to prevent the initiation of tobacco use, support those who wish to quit, and promote a strong culture of health and wellness across schools and institutes of higher education. States and Union Territories have been urged to reaffirm their commitment to implementing the Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) and undertake proactive activities for sensitising the youth on the ill effects of tobacco and other forms of substance abuse under the TFYC 3.0.
Key activities include:
- Enforcement drives to ensure educational institutions remain tobacco-free.
- Capacity-building workshops for school heads, NSS/NCC volunteers, and teachers to spread awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco and other forms of substance abuse.
- Counselling and support sessions for students to quit tobacco and other forms of substance abuse.
- Launch community campaigns to mark the 100-yard tobacco-free zones around schools/colleges/universities/vocational training institutions.
- Competitions for innovative awareness campaigns and recognition of ToFEI-compliant schools/colleges/universities/ vocational training institutions.
- Dissemination of educational videos and participation in initiatives such as the World No Tobacco Day Quiz and the ‘School Challenge: Towards a Tobacco-Free Generation’ on the MyGov platform.
Promoting a tobacco-free lifestyle among youth aligns with the Government’s vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. A healthy, well-informed, and empowered youth population is essential to realizing the national goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. Through this campaign, the Government seeks to nurture youth who are not only academically capable but also physically and mentally strong to lead India’s journey towards collective prosperity and progress.
