Background: The hill state of Himachal Pradesh with a varied geographical terrain has a higher incidence of smoking for men (33.6%) as compared to the national average (32.7%). As per Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2010), 21.2% of adults consume tobacco in some form or other. About 40% of the adult males and adolescents consume tobacco of which 33% smoke and 3.8% women of adult women consume tobacco with majority smoking. The exposure to second hand smoke at home is 83% in HP and is among the highest in India. Interventions: For creating an environment of safe and fresh air, Health department with budding Himachal Pradesh Voluntary Health Association (HPVHA) focused on capacity building/empowering of stakeholders for inter sectoral collaborations, creation of effective coalitions. It initiated policy advocacy for formation of Steering Committees at State and District level, creation of flying squads and advocated for notification of courts for compounding the fines and trial for offence on tobacco advertising. It focused on stakeholder sensitization on smoke free laws and conducted about 100 workshop/trainings amongst the authorized personnel. The momentum has now been taken to all district/ sub district levels and through rural penetration, panchayat resolutions of smoke free are being passed. Results and Lessons learnt: Micro level networks and collaborations upto the grassroots with cross sectional stakeholders formed. All district/ development blocks are complying with the smoke free provisions, more than 40000 violators fined in the state in 2 years and about Rs. 5 million amount have been collected as fine by the enforcement officials. About 36000 stakeholders/enforcement officials sensitized at workshops and meetings. 90% Panchayats have passed smoke free resolutions and compliance of smoke free in the state reached to 83%.  A cadre of sensitized stakeholders from cross section departments, community based institutions has been formed and combined effect of health department and HPVHA have realized that the social legislation of smoke free laws has to be initiated from the top focusing on policy advocacy and go down gradually in the hierarchy by strengthening the enforcement mechanism and community awareness. Conclusions: Unless a resolute effort is made to implement smoke free laws, it will have no concrete consequence. It needs to be efficiently executed and enforced with cross sectional stakeholders with an incorporation of knowledge sharing, information exchange, coalition-building, networking, advocacy with policymakers and enforcement agencies, capacity building, monitoring and reporting, media advocacy.

Keywords: Smoke free; Second hand smoker; COTPA; Networking; Himachal Pradesh.