Education & Health Ministry ask states to effectively implement tobacco guidelines

New Delhi, Sep 21 : In a significant move to combat tobacco use among youth, the Education and Health Ministry on Saturday called on states to effectively implement tobacco-free guidelines in educational institutions.

The Secretaries of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have jointly issued an advisory to Chief Secretaries of states "for the rigorous implementation of the Tobacco-Free Educational Institution (ToFEI) manual, in line with the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003" in educational institutions.

This joint advisory underscores the alarming effects of tobacco consumption, particularly on children and adolescents.

It draws attention to the findings of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2019, which revealed that 8.5 per cent of school students aged 13 to 15 in India consume tobacco in various forms.

Worryingly, more than 5,500 children in India have begun using tobacco every day.

Moreover, 55 per cent of lifelong tobacco users initiated the habit before the age of 20, with many adolescents turning to other addictive substances as a result.

The advisory emphasises the need for collaborative efforts of all the stakeholders to safeguard young people from the dangers of tobacco addiction.

It aims to protect future generations by raising awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

Under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), the Health Ministry released the Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) guidelines for safeguarding minors and youth from tobacco and electronic cigarette use.

Further, the Department of School Education and Literacy has developed and launched the ToFEI Implementation Manual on World No Tobacco Day in collaboration with Socio Economic and Educational Development Society.

The Department issued the manual on May 31 to all states/UTs for compliance.

The ToFEI manual serves as a key resource for educational institutions to implement these anti-tobacco measures effectively.

The manual majorly outlines more awareness about the harmful effects and long-term health impact of tobacco use; and awareness about various avenues available for tobacco cessation.

It also calls for a healthy and tobacco-free environment in educational institutions and all educational institutions becoming tobacco-free.