BENGALURU: For its efforts to reduce smoking in public and thereby significantly reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD), Bengaluru was awarded ‘Partnership for Healthy Cities Award’ which comes with a cash prize of $150,000. Founded in 2017, the Partnership for Healthy Cities is a global network of 70 cities working together to prevent NCDs.
BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Dr Thrilok Chandra, who led the delegation to the Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit in London on March 15, received the award. “This award is a testament to the hardwork and dedication of our BBMP health team, civil society organizations, and residents who have all worked together to create a healthier city.
The focused effort from the smoke-free Bengaluru resulted in a reduction of public place smoking within the premises by 5.2% (18.18% in 2017 reduced to 13.30% in 2021) and a 51.9% increase in the display of No Smoking Signage (from 23.1% in 2017 to 75% 2021). We will continue to prioritize health and wellness initiatives to ensure our city remains a leader in promoting a healthy lifestyle,” said Chandra.
Dr Thriveni BS, project director, who is leading the Partnership for Healthy Cities work under Vital Strategies, said, “We have witnessed a commitment and support from BBMP to make Bengaluru a smoke-free city by strictly implementing tobacco control laws. This award motivates us to do more and work towards bringing in new tobacco control rules and regulations to prevent youth from getting addicted to tobacco”.