First Tobacco-Free Village Of Tripura in Krishnapur Under AGMC
In a pioneering step towards public health reform, the Community Medicine Department of Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) has adopted Krishnapur village under Kalkalia Gram Panchayat with the goal of transforming it into Tripura’s first tobacco-free village.
The initiative was officially launched on May 31 to mark World No Tobacco Day, a global observance led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocate for effective policies to reduce consumption. This year’s theme, “Protecting children from tobacco industry interference,” resonates strongly with AGMC’s outreach programme, which seeks to protect entire communities—especially younger generations—from falling into the cycle of addiction.
Door-to-Door Awareness and Promising Results
As part of the campaign, a team of AGMC professors, medical interns, and undergraduate students visited Krishnapur on Friday and conducted an extensive door-to-door awareness drive across all 183 households in the village, which has a population of 967 people. The students held interactive sessions with residents, educating them about the devastating health impacts of both smoking and smokeless tobacco products.
During the interaction, the medical team identified 288 individuals as active users of tobacco—many of them long-term users unaware of the full range of associated health risks, including cancers, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses. In a heartening response, 116 of these individuals made a personal commitment to quit tobacco use and join the movement for a healthier village.
“This is just the beginning,” said Dr. Subrata Baidya, Head of the Community Medicine Department at AGMC. “We will follow up with the residents of Krishnapur for the next one year, monitoring progress and offering support to ensure that the village becomes, and remains, completely tobacco-free.”
A Model for Public Health Engagement
The initiative is not just symbolic; it is being treated as a model for community-led public health transformation. The campaign includes educational outreach, behavior change communication, follow-up counseling, and peer support systems. AGMC plans to track the village’s progress through periodic surveys and medical screenings.
“This approach goes beyond health education,” explained Dr. Baidya. “It integrates medical students into the fabric of the community, helping them understand real-life public health challenges and equipping them to address them with empathy and science-based solutions.”
Supporting the initiative, Prasanta Bardhan, the Pradhan of Kalkalia Gram Panchayat, expressed his full cooperation. “We want Krishnapur to set an example for the entire state. Our village is proud to be chosen for this effort, and we are committed to achieving the goal of a tobacco-free status,” he said.
Students Connect Through Family Adoption Programme
Adding depth to the campaign, AGMC has also tied the village adoption to its Family Adoption Programme, a recent initiative in which MBBS students are each assigned to a family upon enrollment. These students serve as primary health advisors for their adopted families, monitoring their well-being, guiding them on medication use, and supporting them during hospital visits.
Dr. Kanak Choudhury, Deputy Medical Superintendent of GB Pant Hospital, who was present during the launch, explained, “Through this programme, students develop a deeper bond with their assigned families. It brings a human face to medical education and service.”
Students from the programme also took part in the Krishnapur visit, engaging with families and offering peer counseling, especially to younger individuals who may be at risk of experimenting with tobacco.
A Broader Fight Against Tobacco in India
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016-17, India has over 260 million tobacco users, with both smoked and smokeless forms being prevalent. In states like Tripura, where cultural and social acceptance of smokeless tobacco remains high, grassroots interventions like this one are crucial.
World No Tobacco Day serves as a stark reminder of the lives lost due to tobacco every year—over 8 million globally—and the urgent need for sustained public health action. By targeting entire villages and empowering communities with knowledge and medical support, AGMC’s initiative aligns with WHO’s goals of prevention, protection, and policy reform.
The Road Ahead
As Krishnapur embarks on its journey to become Tripura’s first tobacco-free village, the campaign stands as a testament to what coordinated action between medical institutions, local governance, and communities can achieve.
Dr. Anup Kumar Saha, Principal of AGMC, summed it up: “This is more than just an awareness programme. This is a step towards changing the health narrative of rural Tripura.”
If successful, the Krishnapur model could pave the way for similar efforts across other villages in the state, laying the foundation for a healthier and tobacco-free future for Tripura.
|Also Read : World No Tobacco Day 2025 |
