About NTCP
Government of India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in the year 2007-08 during the 11th Five-Year-Plan, with the aim to (i) create awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption, (ii) reduce the production and supply of tobacco products, (iii) ensure effective implementation of the provisions under “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003” (COTPA) (iv) help the people quit tobacco use, and (v) facilitate implementation of strategies for prevention and control of tobacco advocated by WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control.
During the 11th Five Year Plan, NTCP was implemented in 21 states covering 42 districts. To carry forward the momentum generated by the NTCP during the 11th Five Year Plan and baseline data generated through the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2009-2010, indicating high level of prevalence of tobacco use, it was upscaled in the 12th Five Year Plan with a goal to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use by 5% by the end of the 12th FYP. As per the second round of GATS, the number of tobacco users has reduced by about 81 lakh (8.1 million).