Workshop organised to make educational institutions tobacco free

Central Chronicle News
Bhilai, Oct 07: Under the National Tobacco Control Program, a workshop cum training program to make schools tobacco free educational institutions was organized in the auditorium of District Panchayat Durg on Thursday. 60 teachers were trained in the first phase to make more than 3,000 government and private school campuses tobacco-free in the district.
After training, these teachers will be given the responsibility of nodal officers to curb the sale and consumption of tobacco products in and outside the school premises within a radius of 100 yards. Nodal officers have also been empowered to impose a fine of Rs 200 on teachers and students for consuming tobacco products in schools.
Apart from this, a pledge not to use tobacco will be administered by organizing various activities for the students. To declare the schools of the district as tobacco free educational institutions by November 14, 2021, the evaluation of the schools will be done on the basis of 9 points.
Dr Sonal Singh, District Advisor, National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) said, “Various activities are to be organized to make schools tobacco free to make this a Tobacco Free District. For this, under the guidance of Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Gambhir Singh Thakur and District Nodal Officer (NTCP) Dr RK Khandelwal, training is being provided to one teacher each from all the schools.”
Dr Munish Bhagat gave an informative briefing to teachers about the origin of tobacco and tobacco industry. He also explained on how the youth gets addicted to tobacco and how nicotine de-addiction is done. Information was given about the methods to be adopted for this. Dr Bhagat also informed the participating teachers about various types of cancer caused by tobacco products like cancer of mouth, nose, throat, stomach, liver.
Dr Sonal Singh on other hand explained the legal aspect of The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA), Section 04 (Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places) and Section 06 (Prohibition of sale to and by minors and Prohibition of Sale around Educational Institution).
Detailed information was given about National Tobacco Control Program and instructions and parameters related to tobacco-free educational institutions such as wall writing and publicity material for awareness related to tobacco in school premises, No sale and shop of tobacco products around 100 yards of school.
Counselor Lalit Kumar Sahu and Social Worker Kavita Tamrakar from Health Department said, “The main objective is to establish the institution as a tobacco-free educational institution by not allowing the employees and students of the institution to have tobacco in any form.
For this, awareness programs related to tobacco such as painting, essay competition will be organized every other month in schools. In every school, one boy and girl child is to be selected as Tobacco Volunteer, who will help in making the school a tobacco-free educational institution by discharging this responsibility.