World No Tobacco Day is observed worldwide every year on May 31.
“As part of the National Tobacco Control Programme, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has initiated the Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) campaign aimed at safeguarding minors and youth from tobacco addiction,” the Ministry of Health said in Tobacco-free educational institutions (ToFEI) implementation manual.
In the manual, the Ministry of Health has advised implementing nine activities in educational institutions to transform them into tobacco-free zones.
Activities to be implemented for tobacco-free educational institutions are as follows
As per the Ministry of Education, signage for ‘Tobacco Free Premise’ and ‘Smoke-Free Area’ should be placed at prominent places on all floors of the Educational Institution.
Educational institutes should display “Tobacco Free Education Institution” signage at the entrance/boundary wall of educational institutes with information of the designated “Tobacco Monitor’ nominated by the head of the institution among teachers/ staff members who should not be tobacco users, the Ministry of Education said.
The Ministry of Education said that every educational institution should make sure that there is no evidence of tobacco use inside the premises, like cigarette/beedi butts, discarded gutka/tobacco pouches, or spitting spots.
Display of posters or other awareness materials on the harms of tobacco displayed in the premises. Students should be involved in tobacco control activities to make them understand the subject well, the Ministry said.
The Ministry of Education has also advised educational institutes to organise at least one tobacco control activity during the last 6 months to make students aware of the tobacco menace and related laws.
The Ministry of Education has also advised every educational institution to nominate ‘Tobacco Monitors’ to ensure that nobody uses any form of tobacco product in the premises.
“In every educational institution ‘Tobacco Monitors’ have to be nominated among teachers/ staff members. Few tobacco monitors can also be nominated among the students. In case of schools, students nominated as ‘Tobacco Monitor’ should be from classes 9 t0 12. It has to be ensured that the nominated monitor himself should not be a tobacco user. Tobacco monitors have to ensure that nobody uses any form of tobacco product in the premises and there is compliance of tobacco control law as well. They should.d also do random checks and frisking of tobacco products inside the premises,” the Ministry said in the manual.
Management of the educational institutions should not allow the use of any tobacco products inside the premises; to ensure it a code of conduct on no tobacco use has to be prepared and in case of violation, action might be taken against the violators, the Ministry said in the manual.
The Ministry has also advised educational institutions to mark 100 yards area from the outer limit of boundary wall/ fence of the educational institute to make the public/ shop keepers aware about the 100 yards area around the educational institution in which tobacco products can’t be sold.
“Head of the Institutions are authorized under Section 6b of COTRA- 2003 to penalize the violators with the fine up to Rs. 200. Violations can also be reported to the local to station, Anti-Tobacco Squad, Municipal body or National Helpline No. 1800-11-2356,” the Ministry added.
Lastly, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has advised educational institutions to self-evaluate the scorecard of ToFEI Guidelines implementation by their institutions.
“After implementation of all provisions of ToFEI guidelines, Head of the Institutions would self- evaluate the Institution once every six-month and shared the signed copy of Self-Declaration (Annexure-IV) along with the photos as evidences to the concerned Education official (O/o DEO/Higher Education/Technical Education/Medical Education). If Institution scores more than 90 points after verification of submitted self-declaration, it may be considered for the ‘ToFEI compliance’ award. State Governments may reward such institutions with Appreciation letters on World No Tobacco Day, May 31,” the Ministry said. (ANI)