1st February, 2026
A high-level panel discussion titled “The Tobacco Endgame: Global Strategies to Achieve a Tobacco-Free Future” was organised on 1st February 2026 at AIIMS Raebareli to examine India’s preparedness to transition from conventional tobacco control toward a decisive endgame framework. The session was chaired by Dr. Manish Singh and Dr. P. C. Gupta, moderated by Prof. Sonu Goel, and featured distinguished experts including Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Dr. Rana J. Singh, Mr. Ranjit Singh, and Ms. Opinder Preet K. Gill. The discussion focused on defining measurable endgame indicators, including achieving zero tobacco prevalence among 15–18 and 19–22-year cohorts, adopting Tobacco-Free Generation policies, vendor licensing, sinking-lid supply mechanisms, and legal reforms to classify tobacco as res extra commercium. The session, attended by over 40 delegates, concluded with a call to draft a comprehensive national tobacco endgame roadmap targeting elimination by 31 December 2030.
