Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, 07.02.26- — In a significant step towards strengthening India’s evidence-based tobacco control response, the Resource Centre for Tobacco Control (RCTC) established at the Department of Community Medicine & School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh, formally released four major national publications during the 7th National Conference on Tobacco or Health, held at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raebareli.

The publications, generated and collated by RCTC under the academic supervision of Prof. Sonu Goel, & Director RCTC represent comprehensive efforts to document progress, identify challenges, and propose actionable solutions for advancing tobacco control across India. The official release was carried out by the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, reflecting strong governmental commitment to public health and non-communicable disease prevention.

The documents released include:

1. Tobacco Control Priorities in India – Progress, Challenges and Solutions (Volume II), a policy-oriented compendium presenting updated evidence and strategic recommendations to guide national and state-level tobacco control initiatives.
2. World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2025 – Activity Report of the Medical Colleges and AIIMS Consortium under RCTC, PGIMER, documenting nationwide academic and institutional engagement of medical colleges in tobacco control advocacy.
3. World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2025 – Activity Report by the Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine (IAPSM), highlighting coordinated professional action and public health leadership.
4. Tobacco Free Times – 38th Edition, the bi-monthly newsletter of RCTC, capturing ongoing research, policy developments, and grassroots initiatives in tobacco control.

The release ceremony was attended by several distinguished pioneers and leaders in tobacco control, including Dr. Avinash Sunthalia, Deputy Additional Director General, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,Government of India;Dr. (Prof.) Amita Jain, the Director, AIIMS Raebareli; Dr. Bhola Nath, organising Chairman NCTOH & Head of the Department of Community Medicine, AIIMS Raebareli;Dr. Rana J. Singh, Director – Tobacco Control, Vital Strategies; Dr. P. C. Gupta, Director, Healis Sekhsaria Institute, Dr. Saurabh Paul, Assoc. Prof. and Organising Secretary NCTOH, and, along with senior public health experts, academicians, and policymakers from across the country.

Addressing the gathering, the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh emphasised that “evidence-based policy, academic leadership, and inter-institutional collaboration are critical to reducing the burden of tobacco-related diseases and safeguarding the health of future generations.”

Prof. Sonu Goel noted that the released publications “serve as strategic knowledge resources for policymakers, medical institutions, researchers, and public health professionals, and reinforce the role of academic institutions in driving India’s tobacco control agenda.”